Autism and the Post Primary School Programme Sept-Oct 7-8pm (Book all 4 weeks by booking by package)

Autism and Communication  

Communication involves a complex range of both verbal and non-verbal elements. Autistic people often communicate in a different way to non-autistic people and will each have their own communication style and preferences. When these differences are not understood or accommodated, autistic people can experience challenges in social interaction.  

Many autistic people wish to be socially interactive, make friends and form relationships.  Many also have a desire to be included within the classroom and wider community, but experience barriers when communication differences are not supported. Consequently, many autistic children and young people experience negative social experiences such as exclusion, bullying and loneliness.  

This course explores communication differences for autistic people and how supportive strategies can be put in place to aid mutual understanding and facilitate positive social interactions.  

Expected Outcomes 
Participants will: 

• Expand knowledge of the core issue of communication differences and preferences for autistic children and young people. 

• Be able to identify and understand differences in social attention as a basis for interaction and learning and how to support these. 

• Reflect on their own interaction style and how this impacts the autistic young person.  

• Develop strategies to support the communication style and preferences of autistic people to promote mutual understanding. 

Autism and Sensory Processing 

Sensory processing refers to the ability of a young person to register, interpret and respond to sensory information. This is a complex process involving all the sensory systems (auditory, gustatory, visual, olfactory, tactile, proprioception, vestibular and interoception). When sensory processing is working well, a young person can engage in daily functional activities and social interaction. Sensory processing differences are prevalent in autistic young people and can affect every aspect of daily life. 

This session examines these sensory processing differences and will demonstrate how such differences impact on learning, leisure activities and choices, social interactions, and life skills in school and home settings. 

Expected Outcomes 

Participants will: 

• Develop an understanding of sensory processing differences. 

• Understand how sensory processing differences can affect the young person’s experience in school, home, and other settings. 

• Understand how sensory processing difference can specifically affect an autistic young person and their participation in daily activities. 

• Develop an understanding of modifications and supports to accommodate sensory processing differences in daily activities at school, home and beyond 

Autism and Anxiety Management 

 
Post Primary aged autistic students experience anxiety in many situations, with some experiencing significant anxiety difficulties.  
This session is an introduction to strategies that can be used to alleviate the experience of anxiety in autistic students. This will include an introduction to cognitively based strategies and how to develop student centred strategies to deal with anxiety. 

 
This will include: 

• An introduction to cognitively based strategies  

• An introduction to relaxation-based strategies 

• How to develop student centred strategies to deal with anxiety. 

Expected Outcomes 
Participants will:  

• Understand how the difficulties experienced by autistic students, including sensory difficulties, can contribute to the development of anxiety. 

• Understand how anxiety can escalate and may result in an emotional dysregulation. 

• Develop some simple strategies to prevent and respond to the escalation of anxiety. 

• Understand the basics of cognitively based management approaches. 

 
Course Overview 

• Anxiety triggers and build up. 

• “On the spot” anxiety management strategies. 

• Developing a stress kit. 

• Cognitively based approaches and the emotional understanding 

Autism and Life Skills, including Relationships and Sexuality Education 

The term Life Skills refers to a varied set of skills used to navigate practical, educational and social challenges daily. There is no definitive list of these skills but broad categorisation includes:   
 

• Practical Living  

• Personal Care 

• Social Skills 

• Personal Safety 

• Job Skills 

• Self-advocacy 

• Relationships and Sexuality, including friendships  

• Executive Skills 

Whilst the skills are varied and often overlap, effectively and successfully using them enable the autistic child or young person deal autonomously with many challenges and opportunities of everyday life.  This impacts positively on the child or young person’s sense of dignity, worthiness, self-esteem and well-being.   

For some autistic young people, these skills can be slower to develop meaning the autistic young person would benefit from specific focus, including explicit teaching, of the life skills that are important and meaningful to them.  Effective teaching of these skills involves close collaboration between school and home.   

This session will examine the impact of adolescence on the young autistic person at the stage of their life where these skills are needed.  The session will explore the broad definition of Life Skills within the contexts of work, leisure, personal care and relationships.  Participants will be shown how to incorporate visual and behavioural strategies to support the autistic teenager develop and use Life Skills. It will also focus on the delivery of relationships and sexuality education for autistic students.  

Expected Outcomes 
Participants will: 

• Have a greater understanding of how autism can affect the development of Life Skills in work, leisure, personal care and relationship domains during the adolescence years.   

• Explore ways of assessing and teaching Life Skills in the school and family environments. 

• Have an increased awareness of daily opportunities to focus on and develop the autistic students’ life skills within the school and home environments. 

• Explore some strategies involving behavioural and visual strategies, that may support the autistic adolescent develop these skills.  

• Provide strategies for the delivery of sex and relationships education to autistic students.