Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects individuals in diverse ways, making it a spectrum disorder. The following is a list of the difficulties many autistic people experience:

Social communication and social interaction challenges
People with autism may struggle to understand social cues, such as facial expressions and body language, making it hard to navigate social situations and form relationships.

Repetitive and restrictive behaviours
This includes repetitive actions or routines, such as repeating words or behaviours, and a strong preference for sameness or predictability in daily life.

Over or under sensitivity to light, sound, taste, or touch
Individuals with autism may have heightened or reduced sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as bright lights, loud sounds, or certain textures, which can be overwhelming or unnoticed.

Highly focused interests or hobbies
People on the autism spectrum often develop intense, narrow interests, spending a lot of time exploring specific topics or activities they feel passionate about.

Extreme anxiety
Anxiety is common, often triggered by changes in routine, social interactions, or sensory overload, leading to heightened worry and stress in unfamiliar situations.

Meltdowns and shutdowns
Meltdowns involve intense emotional reactions, like crying or acting out, when overwhelmed, while shutdowns are a withdrawal response to avoid further distress.

Every individual with autism is unique. The spectrum is not linear, and people have varying levels of need across the areas mentioned above. 
Within school, an individual’s needs can differ depending on the subject—students may excel in topics they find engaging, but face challenges in those they find less interesting. To address this, we equip our staff with a variety of strategies, allowing them to personalise support.

If you would like further information, we recommend the following resources:

• National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk/ 
• CAMHS: https://hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/issue/autistic-spectrum-condition-2/

The strategies we recommend include:

• If possible, pair the student with at least one student they feel comfortable with
• Explicitly establish the ‘rules’ of group work for everyone involved, before the task begins so that they know exactly what they need to be doing 
• Allow the student to talk through their ideas with a trusted peer 
• Encourage the student to use the traffic light pages in their planner to communicate how they are feeling
• Please make the student aware of changes, such as changes to the seating plan, in advance
• Make students aware of the back-up plans - what is likely to happen if plans change?
• Break instructions down into manageable chunks.
• Use checklists and visual examples where possible.
• Model the activity so that the student knows how to complete the task successfully.
• Provide the student with thinking time.
• Allow the use of noise cancelling headphones.
• Speak to the child about where they would like to sit to reduce levels of noise.
• Allow the child to spend a brief amount of time outside the classroom if they need to regroup due to sensory overload. 

We also recommend using the following strategies at home:

• Set routines: A consistent daily schedule helps your child feel secure and reduces anxiety.
• Prepare for changes: Use visual aids or social stories to help them anticipate and understand transitions.
• Create a calming environment: Minimise sensory overload by managing noise, lighting, and clutter.
• Recognise triggers: Identify situations or sensory inputs that cause distress and try to minimise them.
• Teach coping strategies: Use tools like deep breathing, sensory toys, or calming spaces.
• Acknowledge emotions: Validate their feelings and help them label emotions, such as “I see you’re feeling frustrated.”
• Understand sensory sensitivities: Identify if they are sensitive to sound, light, touch, or other stimuli.
• Offer sensory tools: Items like noise-canceling headphones, weighted blankets, or fidget toys can help.
• Teach life skills: If needed, start with simple tasks like dressing or brushing teeth, and gradually increase complexity.
• Use visual supports: Create checklists or visual schedules to guide them in completing daily routines.
• Teach self-advocacy: Help your child understand their strengths and needs, empowering them to speak up as they grow.

This is not an exhaustive list. There are many more strategies available at:
National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk/ 
CAMHS: https://hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/issue/autistic-spectrum-condition-2/ 

Autism assessments can be completed by The Owl Centre (who support CAMHS) or a private specialist. The waiting list for an assessment via CAMHS is around 2-3 years, although in some situations, it takes significantly longer. Private assessments cost at least £1500.

Waiting for an assessment can have a negative impact on students, so we always use the suggested strategies with students once a referral has been completed. We also recommend parents engage with the resources available below as these provide additional advice and support. 

SENDIASS: https://www.hampshiresendiass.co.uk/

The National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk/
https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/autism-training-and-best-practice/training/e-learning

CAMHS: https://hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/issue/autistic-spectrum-condition-2/

The Owl Centre: https://www.theowl.org/

The book Helping Autistic Teens to Manage their Anxiety is very useful. It includes information, advice and a range of worksheets you can complete at home: https://amzn.eu/d/j5xeGb5

You can also access free lectures by Dr Tony Attwood on YouTube:
Good Mental Health for Autistic Girls and Women: https://youtu.be/-n6IWTRVGeg?si=rgqBezeRZEd5_CIb 
Aspergers in Girls - https://youtu.be/wfOHnt4PMFo?si=crPLOIKpNuz2xv0t 

If you would like to pursue an assessment through CAMHS, please let us know.

If you would like to pursue a private assessment, it is worth asking your GP whether they can recommend any private specialists.

Both parents/carers and teachers should be given the opportunity to provide feedback during any formal assessment. We aim to complete the forms sent to us as quickly as possible, but please be aware that it can take several days during busy periods.

If you have any questions, please contact us at senco@mountbatten.school