about us

Who we are & what we do

Hello! This is autism act, and I'm Sarah

Hello, I’m Sarah. autism act is my company, dedicated to supporting schools, families, businesses and organisations to understand autism through advice, consultancy and training.

autism act ethos reflects current ideology and legislation, promoting neurodiversity and difference as opposed to deficit.   autism act offers a range of advice, consultancy and training packages, designed to build knowledge and confidence as a basis for moving support and provision forward; whether in a school, a family or a place of work and business or an organisation.  This is achieved through workshops and training that have been written uniquely for autism act.  In addition to this, school visits, consultancy and bespoke pieces of work around an individual child are available.

services

how we can help you?
autism training

Training Programme

Training Programme Face to Face Service

All training modules are workshops, although bespoke training can be arranged if you have particular requirements.

The focus audience for all training is those supporting autistic youngsters, through raising knowledge and confidence.   autism act has a very clear view on promoting advocacy for autistic youngsters, seeing neurodiversity as a difference and not a deficit.

autism aims to promote the strengths of the autistic youngsters, while supporting their challenges.

Ready to act training module

2 hour workshop raising autism awareness, focusing on the principles of autistic difference, profiling the strengths and challenges of autistic young people to help understand and meet individual needs.   This workshop is suitable for anyone supporting an autistic young person, whether at school, other educational setting or home, as part of an organisation or business.   All delegates are given an information sheet to accompany the training.

4 3 2 1 act training module

Whole day workshop focusing on autism in more detail.   This workshop is suitable for those working more closely and those requiring a deeper understanding to support autistic youngsters.  This workshop is more suited to educational settings but can be adapted to meet needs of families, organisations and businesses.  All delegates are given an information pack to accompany the training. The following content is covered across the day:

4 principles of autistic difference
3 psychological theories behind autism
2 strands of autism diagnosis
1 whole school approach to making provision for autistic young people

Training Programme Workshops Available

autism act currently offers the following range of workshops that last for 2 hours and are suitable for schools, other educational settings, families, organisations and businesses:

  • Understanding sensory processing
  • Building an individual sensory profile
  • Setting up a sensory circuit
  • Understanding and supporting emotional regulation
  • Understanding and supporting anxiety
  • Understanding and supporting early communication
  • Understanding and supporting autistic girls
  • Supporting independent working
  • Supporting social skills and promoting friendships
  • Sharing diagnosis with your child
  • Understanding behaviour as communication
  • Using individual interests to promote learning
  • Understanding and supporting demand avoidance

Workshop Packages

Each workshop can stand alone or be followed up with a school visit and a report to help develop strategies in school. The school visit focuses on the theme of the chosen workshop and working with staff for a morning or afternoon to put strategies in place using a more bespoke approach.

 

A group of schools or MAT can request any of the workshops listed above. Each school pays per delegate attending and the host school receives 2 free places for their staff.

All training programmes and workshops are also suitable for:

  • Schools
  • Educational settings
  • Parent groups
  • Families
  • Businesses
  • Organisations

The main message and content of the workshop remains but some alterations are made to suit the audiences’ needs.

Advice and Consultancy Programme and Packages

Advice and consultancy are delivered as a more bespoke way to approach working with those supporting autistic youngsters.  It focuses on both the needs of the child or young person as well as the needs of the person supporting them.   The advice can include observations and coaching.  Please note all observations in school require parental consent.

The following advice and consultancy packages are available:

  • 1 day school visit. The school decides on the timetable for the day to ensure it meets their needs.   A report detailing recommendations is included.
  • Individual observation and consultation. A consultation with the parents and the school, followed by an observation.   A full report with recommendations is included.
  • 1:1 consultation afternoon. This includes 4 x 1 hour individual consultations to discuss more complex situations.   Each consultation receives a short summary of the advice given.
  • Setting up an intervention. This includes an initial consultation meeting, followed by 5 school visits and a final report detailing any further actions.   The 5 school visits include training staff delivering the intervention, modelling the intervention with the child, supporting staff to run and establish the intervention.

Hourly packages can be purchased.   These include direct hours in school, while reports and emailing any resources are outside of the direct hours purchased.  The school decides on how and when the hours are used.  This also suitable for other educational settings, businesses and organisations.

  • 10 direct hours
  • 20 direct hours
  • 40 direct hours

Weekly and termly packages are based on the same principle as hourly packages but provide a regular service if this is preferred.  Each package offers an initial planning meeting to identify the focus of the work. The visits are determined by the school and every visit is followed up with a written report detailing recommendations. These are also suitable for other educational settings.

  • 1 whole day visit x 3 terms
  • 1 whole day visit x 6 half terms
  • 1 x 3 hours visit for 6 weeks
  • 1 x 3 hours visit for 12 weeks

The services of autism act are based around supporting those who support autistic children and young people through advice, consultancy and training.  Please note that the service is not based around me working directly with the child or in the home.

our blog

news and information about our business, autism in general, and other related content

experience

The journey to autism act

I am a qualified teacher, working for 25 years in mainstream school settings, including class teaching across all primary phases, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, Inclusion Leader and Assistant Head.  Most recently, I have worked for the Local Authority as a specialist teacher for children with autism and social communication differences.   I supported schools with advice, consultancy and training to meet the needs of the autistic children and young people attending.

This extensive experience, along with graduating with a Master of Education (autism – children) in 2018 from the University of Birmingham, underpins the ethos of autism act – widening understanding through advice, consultancy and training to provide tailored provision and better outcomes, both for the child or young person and those supporting them. When the service I was doing this valuable work for discontinued, I felt my ‘autism work life’ was not ready to end and autism act was imagined.  autism act prides itself on honest and practical advice, easy to understand concepts, regardless of previous knowledge and understanding of autism. Ultimately helping to understand the individual child and their unique profile in order to make provision that truly works for them.

autism act experience

contact

If you think we can help, please contact us

our location

Servicing Essex and the surrounding areas

call us

07544 894105

send an email

info@autismact.com

Contact us using our enquiry form.

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