Best Practice

Seven tried and tested strategies for working with autistic students

The autism resource provision led by Kate Goodwin and her team achieved national recognition at the Nasen Awards 2020. Here, she discusses their approaches and offers seven strategies that mainstream schools might adopt to support autistic learners

According to the National Autistic Society, around one in every 100 people have autism. Some would put that number far higher, but either way, the figure suggests that you are likely to come into contact with many young people with autism in your career.

School is, for some autistic people, a very difficult experience. There are tremendous demands that are placed upon autistic people, that would not even be considered by a “neurotypical” person.

Uniform is a prime example. This can be excruciatingly uncomfortable to someone with autism: scratchy labels, stiff shirts and ties, blazers and school shoes. Understand this and you understand why someone with autism could be an agitated state before even arriving at school.

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