Autism Home Learning

Communication is powerful. Communication is a social process through which we send and receive messages to and from other people. There are many forms of communication, but often there is an emphasis upon speech, which may not be possible, nor effective, for some autistic youngsters. In this post I reflect upon ways to support your child's communication at home if they do not speak, or if speech is not their most effective means of communication. I do not provide training but suggest tw o key aspects to think about, developing: 1) early social communication & 2) functional communication. Communication is an exchange of information between communication partners.  Communication is essential in all aspects of everyday life. We communicate throughout the day for a variety of reasons. For example, we ask for instructions at work, we communicate with a partner to arrange who is picking up our children from school, we chat with friends etc etc. We communicate for functional and for...

You’re Inside Out, Upside Down and Topsy-Turvy… but you’ve got this! In this motivational guest post, Charlie Swan considers the 'Zones of Regulation' and how to look after emotions in order to take on whatever the day brings. Follow Charlie @ShareInclusion Dear wonderful parents, carers, children, young people and siblings…        I hope January has managed to welcome you with some kindness, hope and light, despite the ongoing turbulence of the world. I reflect daily on the strengths and resilience of the many families I work with. I’m confident that those around you also feel proud of how much you have accomplished in these lockdowns and the unexpected era of remote learning.  The era of amplified emotions! The era of ‘Does anyone actually know what they are doing?’ and the era of ‘You’ve left your Zoom mic on!”.      I often think of the Disney-Pixar movie “Inside Out”. The story of young Riley who is suddenly uprooted from her family...

Many autistic children and young people are attending their special school during lockdown but many are not, whilst some are alternating between school and home. This post includes reminders of key points to consider when home learning and suggestions of questions to ask your child's special school. Whilst the overall aim is to ensure that children who attend special schools can continue to do so, there are many reasons why this may not be the case. Special schools consider the balance of risks in their setting with opportunities to attend school. Detailed risk assessments help to ensure steps are taken to prevent the spread of the virus and to keep everyone safe. If your child's special school is open and indicates that your child should attend, don't be afraid to ask about the school's actions to minimise risks and prevent the spread of infection. Many schools have published this information on the school's website, but if not then do ask questions so you can feel...

2021 promises further change and uncertainty for us all. There are difficult times ahead, but hope is in sight.  Let's keep going and support children as they learn at home and school. As another period of lockdown begins I will resume posting ideas, activities and my reflections to offer support to all who are involved in supporting autistic youngsters to learn at home. Many of my previous posts are still relevant and I will cross reference to these when appropriate - to make it easier to navigate through the posts (for you and for me) I intend to go back and number them! This post includes my tips for online resources and who to follow on twitter for some brilliant ideas:) (Most recently added in red) Autism friendly resources: NLC Communication Friendly @SchoolsNLC From Special Education and Inclusive Learning  Pancake Day Sensory Story Follow Charlie @ShareInclusion for some fun ideas and activities Autism Education Trust has some useful information and free resourc...