Welcome to the first training module from Accepting Behaviour.
In this module you will learn:
1. What is autism?
2. In school what areas children need support with
3. The Neurological effects of autism and how these apply to behaviour
Key points from module. -
Around one in 57 (1.76%) children in the UK is on the autistic spectrum, significantly higher than previously reported. Roman-Urrestarazu, R et al. (2021)
Autism is a disability recognised under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Autistic people have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice.
Autistic people often have difficulty 'reading' other people recognising or understanding others' feelings and intentions and expressing their own emotions. This can make it very hard to navigate the social world.
Anxiety is a real difficulty for many autistic children, particularly in social situations or when facing change. It can affect a person psychologically and physically and impact quality of life for autistic people and their families.
1.7% of students in schools are registered as autistic in England (DfE, 2019). Over 70% of autistic students are educated in mainstream schools in England.
'Autism is a neurological condition, which means it is biological in nature.’
‘Being autistic does not mean people have an illness or disease.’ - 'It means their brain works in a different way from other people.’ NHS.co.uk
ACCEPTANCE BASED SUPPORT KEY POINTS
1. The most important thing you can do to help an autistic child is to remember 'It is not their fault'
2. Think differently about how you can support them
3. Adopt a sympathetic approach to their struggles/behaviours
4. Understand that each student is an individual with their own different needs
5. Know there is more to their behaviour than is on the surface
6. They cannot change their behaviours easily