Child Autism UK works with schools for the benefit of autistic children. We provide services for schools and teachers of children with autism. In our work with schools, as with our work for individuals:

  • We use positive evidence based practice.
  • All our staff are insured and have enhanced DBS checks.
  • All our services can be delivered for an individual or group of children

We offer consultancy for schools as follows:

  • Assessment and ongoing consultation
  • Helping a child to communicate effectively
  • Behaviour Support
  • Increasing social skills
  • Increasing daily living skills (e.g changing for PE, food issues)
  • Creating Autism Specific Units
  • Writing IEP targets
  • Support in differentiating the curriculum

We also provide training courses for schools that you can read about here.

Services for schools and teachers of autistic children

Assessment and ongoing consultation

Our case managers provide hands-on practical training for teachers and support staff working with children with a variety of needs. Our tailor-made services range from helping staff with individual children through to managing whole classes using ABA principles. These services are ideal staff training to help children with:

  • Challenging behaviour
  • Communication difficulties
  • Social skill difficulties
  • Accessing the curriculum
  • Independence skills

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location
  • Contact Child Autism UK to find out more 

Helping a child to communicate effectively

Good communication is essential for the child’s quality of life and often reduces other behaviour difficulties. The pupil(s) can be taught to communicate effectively using whichever system is most appropriate for them and the school.

Our Case Managers are trained to facilitate confident and appropriate communication skills across all levels, from picture exchange-based communication system and sign language through to helping a child have conversations or speaking confidently at ’show and tell’.

We have worked in conjunction with Warwick University to research the effectiveness of our communication programmes. We’ve had excellent results which will be published later this year.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location

Behaviour Support

We view behaviours not so much being part of the child but part of a context. The first thing our Case Managers will do is to analyse why the behaviour is occurring more in one context than another. Most behaviours are a form of communication so when once we have established what the child is trying to communicate, we will show you how to teach them an alternative way of getting their needs met. Other behaviours have a sensory function (i.e. the child enjoys it or it is self-soothing), if it is in the best interests of the child to reduce the behaviour, we will help you find an alternative (sensory equivalent) behaviour to replace it with.

We are only able to work on challenging behaviours if everyone in the child’s life is onboard. We are happy to work with families to ensure consistency. Unfortunately it is unlikely that we would be able to help without this wrap around approach. A free of charge preliminary meeting can be arranged to assess whether our service is a good fit.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location                                      

Increasing social skills

We can offer a structured programme to help the pupil(s) increase their social skills. Following an assessment, a Case Manager will design a systematic approach which could involve teaching toy play, parallel play, sharing, conversation skills, theory of mind, group play or emotional regulation skills depending on the needs of the child.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location 

Increasing daily living skills (e.g changing for PE, food issues)

It can be difficult for both the pupil and teacher when a child is struggling to get changed for PE or is having difficulties eating lunch appropriately. Our team has lots of experience with these issues and can help devise a programme that will make it easier for the pupil to manage these skills more fluently and independently.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location 

Creating Autism Specific Units

Offering support for over 15 years now, Child Autism UK has successfully delivered a range of consultation and training services, specifically tailored for schools and teachers including setting up ABA units and supporting start-up ABA schools. We can assist with a range of needs from staff ratios and materials through to on-going consultation.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location

Writing IEP targets

We recognise that it is sometimes difficult to select appropriate IEP targets for children with autism. Using various assessment tools we can help to identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses across a variety of critical skills. This will usually cover areas of development such as social, communication and independence targets.

We can work then with teaching staff to devise targets that are both most appropriate for overall development but also within the child’s capabilities.

We offer this assessment either as a one-off service or as a combined baseline and follow-up assessment to measure progress.

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location

Support in differentiating the curriculum 

We can work with teachers and assistants alongside the child to illustrate in real time the best ways to differentiate the curriculum for a specific pupil(s). We have found that using many real examples is often the best way to teach this skill to staff.

Our main aim is always to promote independence for the child and we encourage methods that help them not to be over-reliant on their assistant

Please note that parental consent is required for all consultancy options.

  • Cost: The cost of each consultation option depends upon the detailed selection. However we will work with you to agree the cost beforehand to allow budgeting
  • Location: Consultancy is normally delivered at the school location