EarlyBird introduction

What is the NAS EarlyBird programme?

EarlyBird is a three-month programme which combines group training sessions for parents with individual home visits when video feedback is used to help parents apply what they learn, whilst working with their child.

Parents have a weekly commitment - to a two-and-a-half hour training session or a home visit, and to ongoing work with their child at home - during the three-month programme.

The EarlyBird programme aims:

• to support parents in the period between diagnosis and school placement
• to empower parents and help them facilitate their child's social communication and appropriate behaviour within the child's natural environment
• to help parents establish good practice in handling their child at an early age so as to pre-empt the development of inappropriate behaviours.  

Who can participate?

EarlyBird works with six families at a time. Applications for the programme are accepted from parents of a pre-school (not yet of statutory school age) child with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Two parents or carers from each family may attend.

The NAS EarlyBird Centre is based in South Yorkshire. However, many areas of the UK now run the programme for local families. See EarlyBird licensed teams.

Which approaches does the EarlyBird programme use?

The EarlyBird programme is autism-specific and has three 'threads':

• understand your child's autism
• get yourself into your child's world: make contact; find ways to develop interaction and communication
• learn how to analyse and understand your child's behaviours; and how to use structure, so you can pre-empt and cope with problem behaviours.

The EarlyBird programme draws from well-established practice in the field of autism. The approaches used include:

• the NAS SPELL approach
• techniques from the TEACCH approach
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).

EarlyBird staff

Contact

For further information on EarlyBird training, contact:

Jo Stevens
Director
NAS EarlyBird Centre
Barnsley Road
Dodworth
Barnsley
South Yorkshire S75 3JT

Tel: 01226 779 218
Fax: 01226 771 014
E-mail: earlybird@nas.org.uk