Special Needs Assistant Level 5 & Level 6 Booking Package

Course Overview
This QQI level 5 Minor Award and QQI level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting booking package allows you to qualify and work as a special needs assistant. By booking both courses together you can progress straight to the level 6 course upon completion of level 5 and avail of a discount, making your study more affordable.

Course Details

These courses are ideal for those passionate about Special Needs Education, whether for career or personal growth.

Portobello Institute’s QQI level 5 and level 6 Minor Awards in Special Needs Assisting prepare you to work in schools, hospitals, and care homes. You’ll gain knowledge, empathy, and understanding crucial for supporting individuals with special needs.

This course includes 40 hours of work experience, providing practical skills to complement your studies, alongside one-on-one tutorial support. It’s accessible, affordable, and achievable.

Upon completing this course, you will hold a QQI level 5 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting and QQI level 6 Minor Award in Special Needs Assisting making you highly employable as an SNA.

What will I study?

During the QQI Level 5 Minor Award, you will learn about development and learning in children with special needs and about the role of an SNA.

You will learn about child development and behaviour theories and how a range of activities can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in children with learning, physical and behavioural disabilities.

You will develop the capacity to work and communicate effectively with parents, families, colleagues and other professionals to safeguard, support and promote children’s learning, development and well-being.

During this programme you will cover the following topics:

The Role of the Special Needs Assistant
Equal Opportunities Child Development (Overview)
Theories of Learning and Behaviour
Physical and Intellectual Disabilities
Communications and Language Disabilities
Work Experience
The QQI Level 6 Minor Award provides you with a greater depth of knowledge on the role of an SNA.

You will learn about development and learning in children with special needs and about the role of an SNA.

You will learn about child development and behaviour theories and how a range of activities can promote physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in children with learning, physical and behavioural disabilities.

You will learn how to implement Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) and individual behaviour Plans (IBP’s) and introduce exercises that teach the child to look after themselves and their property which ultimately encourages independence, respect, self-esteem and responsibility.

You will develop the capacity to work and communicate effectively with parents, families, colleagues and other professionals to safeguard, support and promote children’s learning, development and well-being.

During this programme you will cover the following topics:

Understanding Education, Health and Safety, Teach methodologies, Educational Philosophy and Practice.
Literacy: Identifying the conditions for learning language and how to implement these according to learning programmes.
Mathematics: Learning skills to support the teaching of mathematics and to devise strategies to assess mathematical ability.
Observations: Methods and techniques for assessing, planning and evaluating.