Will the English SEND reforms improve early intervention for children with autism? By Danae Leaman-Hill. The early years of any child’s life are of vital importance, but this is particularly true of autistic children. The sooner an autistic child’s needs are identified and understood, the sooner they can access the right support and interventions (therapies and strategies) that will help them get ready for school and adult life. We know that a lengthy wait for a formal diagnosis of autism creates knock-on delays in children getting the right education, health and social care support down the l ..read more

You really need that diagnosis in order to get things done, says Graeme Lawrie. Last year, the National Autistic Society revealed NHS figures showing more than 100,000 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England—an alarming increase of 40% from the previous year. Although the process of diagnosing our neurodiverse children can be gruelling, with some arguing that it labels them and excuses bad behaviour, giving children a proper diagnosis is game-changing. In education, a proper diagnosis opens doors for neurodiverse children in which they can receive suitable support. Getting the ..read more

You really need that diagnosis in order to get things done, says Graeme Lawrie. Last year, the National Autistic Society revealed NHS figures showing more than 100,000 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England—an alarming increase of 40% from the previous year. Although the process of diagnosing our neurodiverse children can be gruelling, with some arguing that it labels them and excuses bad behaviour, giving children a proper diagnosis is game-changing. In education, a proper diagnosis opens doors for neurodiverse children in which they can receive suitable support. Getting the ..read more

Sponsored Mind Mapping is well established as a great way of organising ideas, information and connections. It allows you to develop and master complex realms of mental activity without becoming overwhelmed. It’s useful for the neurotypical and also the neurodivergent mind, where the overwhelm-threshold may be lower. Ayoa is a collaborative mind-mapping tool for people with diverse learning styles. Now with personalised AI technology, Ayoa can support every user in finding their unique learning rhythm. It’s perfectly suited to those with dyslexia, for example. With a unique combination of mind ..read more

Stephanie Smith and Catriona Henson take to the outdoors At The Cavendish School, our students are driven to succeed, but are unable to thrive in a conventional  educational setting. Going to school can be a challenging experience for students with autism, because of the sensory stimulation of the school environment, or their experiences in their previous educational setting.  Our school first opened its doors in 2021, but planning began many years before this. At each stage of our planning journey, and looking forward, we wanted to ensure that we rebuild our students’ trust in educa ..read more

Josianne Pisani and Feliciea Jibson on invisible strengths and reframing neurodiversity. Anyone with ASD, or who has lived experience of ASD, will be familiar with terms like rigid thinking, inability to maintain friendship, lack of communication skills, restricted interests and needing space from others. All are traits that, for many years, have been portrayed in a negative light, prompting a barrage of programmes that focus on changing the behaviour patterns of those with ASD. However, changing the natural way a person thinks and acts is like trying to get an elephant to behave like a fish ..read more

From learning about autism to encouraging acceptance and appreciation of differences: Val Jones has a story to tell… It all started with a request to lead an assembly about autism for Key Stage 1 children as part of a school’s Disability and Inclusion Awareness Week. As an Autism Specialist Teacher, I had been asked to promote understanding of autism many times for older pupils, but this was the first time for younger children. I was wondering how to do this when a teenager with autism suggested using a teddy bear, as young children relate to soft toys. From there, the concept of a story about ..read more

Parents are facing exhausting and sometimes years-long battles to get support for autistic children in school, according to a damning new report from the National Autistic Society. The charity says that the education system is simply not working for autistic children in England and is calling on the Government to intervene with its upcoming review of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, due in the Spring.  The report, which is based on surveys of over 4000 parents, carers,&nb ..read more

Kat Williams provides a stark insight into the reasons for non-attendance and what is needed to combat this issue. Numerous issues appear to impact autistic people and their families at a higher rate than their non-autistic peers, including trauma, school ‘refusal’, and not meeting academic potential. When discussing these matters with our stakeholders, a recurring theme was that while these matters are looked at separately, the intersectionality of the issues is often not considered, and that it’s possible that school ‘refusal’ is a direct result of school trauma. We conducted a survey to asc ..read more

During UK Disability History Month we hear about Claire Cookson’s mission to get 10,000 young people with learning disabilities and autism into work in the next decade with DFN Project SEARCH and what she believes still needs to be done to break boundaries and disrupt the perceived expectation of those within the neurodiverse community.  Claire Cookson is one of the principal voices for supported employment in the UK who, as CEO of DFN Project SEARCH, is leading the charge to help thousands of young people with learning disabilities and autism progress into full-time paid jobs over t ..read more