Back to school: autism resources
Published on 09 August 2022
Author: Chris Hunter
Returning to school, or indeed beginning school for the first time, is a time of enormous change for autistic pupils and involves new routines, environments and people. We've gathered some useful resources for professionals to support autistic pupils in the classroom.
General information
We have a range of advice and guidance on our website for parents and school staff, ranging from difficulties at lunch and break times and support with homework.
Dean Da Conceicao has advice for teachers on what to do if they suspect one of their pupils may be autistic.
Autism specialist and autistic adult Sarah Hendrickx discusses the topic of anxiety in autistic pupils and offers some approaches to help support pupils.
Phoebe Caldwell explores the sensory challenges that autistic pupils may face in the classroom, and outlines ways in which staff can reduce sensory overload.
Joe Butler, education/autism consultant, offers eight communication tips for school staff working with autistic pupils.
Andy Cutting, the NAS specialist exclusions advisor, offers some tips for overcoming the barriers to inclusion in education.
Primary school
Jacky Wyatt, a Reception Teacher in a mainstream primary school, gives us her advice on the transition to primary school for autistic children.
Lynn McCann, an autism specialist, teacher and consultant, has some advice on her website about preparing an autism-friendly primary classroom.
Rebecca Wood, Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, explores how autistic children in mainstream primary school access tests and discusses how inclusion can be improved.
Alyssa Alcorn, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, discusses a free resource that mainstream primary school teachers can use to teach pupils about neurodiversity and neurodivergence.
Secondary school
Lynn McCann, an autism specialist, teacher and consultant, gives her top 5 tips for teaching secondary school autistic students.
Victoria Honeybourne, a Senior Advisory Teacher for Speech, Language and Communication Needs has some tips and advice for teachers on recognising some of the less obvious differences in autistic communication.
Middletown Centre for Autism have produced an online Teenage resource, aimed at supporting young autistic people, their families and the professionals working with them.
Rachel Babbidge, Transition Support Service Coordinator at the National Autistic Society, explains how to use a person centred planning approach to support young people as they transition into adulthood.
A range of resources aimed at supporting autistic students before and during exam time.
Debby Elley and Gareth D Morewood discuss how collaboration between parents and school staff can support autistic young people at mainstream schools.
Gender and ethnicity
Autistic girls may mask their difficulties and interact socially more often than autistic boys. The National Autistic Society has some general information on the gender diagnosis gap and shares some theories on why more men and boys are being diagnosed as autistic.
NASEN have published a short guide about girls and autism for educational professionals which includes advice on supporting autistic girls, and perspectives from parents and professionals.
In this interview Sarah Wild, Head Teacher at Limpsfield Grange School, discusses how to best support autistic girls in the classroom and prepare them for the transition out of school.
Education professionals working with minority ethnic families with autistic children will have cultural differences to consider. In this article by Olatokunbo Bankole we find out how professionals can best support African families with an autistic child at school.
Useful resources
The Autism Education Trust is a not-for-profit programme led by the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism, and supported by the Department for Education. They offer training and resources for the three education phases – early years, school and post-16. Some resources are specific to England.
Middletown Centre for Autism have developed an online resource for education professionals offering a range of educational resources and ideas for good autism practice