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What is a sensory diet and how do I implement one in my busy classroom?

Image from: Supporting Autistic Learners course by Lynn McCann Many autistic children have Sensory Processing Disorders. (And so do children with Down’s Syndrome, ADHD and other or no other conditions). Their sensory systems (as above) can be hyper (over) or hypo (under) sensitive and this affects the way that they understand, perceive and interact with […]

Help for children with Pathological Demand Avoidance

Imagine that every day the simplest demands make you panic.  Not just the demands from other people but the demands that you place on yourself, the things you know you should be doing.Like getting out of bed.  Getting ready for the day.  Getting out of the house. It’s not just feeling lethargic.  It’s the crippling […]

What makes transition work for Autistic pupils?

image from https://tentotwenty.com Autistic pupils can find everyday transitions difficult, as well as the major transitions that happen. The reasons can include: Not being told what the change will involve, What will be expected of them, How long it’s going to last, Perceived or real sensory challenges, Not being given time enough to process the changes […]

8 ways to help Autistic pupils manage anxiety

I was born worrying, so my mum said.  I don’t really know what it is like not to have a million worries running through my head all at once.  Every conceivable disaster is imagined once my brain focusses on a particular thought – There’s a downside to having a wild imagination. But over the years […]

Autistic Pupils and Homework

picture from https://www.thetricyclecollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Homework.jpg It is seriously one of the biggest issues we have to deal with when we support secondary autistic students, so I thought it would be worth sharing my suggestions about homework. So…if you have a student refusing, never seeming to do homework, parents are saying that it is causing meltdowns and great […]

Spoon Theory and Autism.

My friend @AnnMemmott who blogs at  http://www.annsautismblog.co.uk  first introduced me to the Spoon Theory in relation to autism.  It was originally created by Christine Miserandino when asked about her chronic illness, (you can read the original post here http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/ ) but is a great way of helping us understand why school and college is such hard […]

Building good relationships with parents of autistic children.

  image from http://quotesgram.com/ “We don’t see that behaviour at school” “He’s doing it on purpose, he gets away with it at home” “There’s no structure at home, you know” These are some of the comments we might hear in the staff room. It certainly not from all teachers or teaching staff, and it’s certainly […]