For Parents

Autism and Understanding Anxiety

About this course

Autism and Understanding Anxiety This training approaches anxiety as a contextual and relational experience, often emerging when environments place sustained demands on autistic children to adapt, mask, or function without adequate support. Rather than viewing anxiety as an internal flaw, the session highlights the role of environmental unpredictability, sensory overwhelm, communication barriers, and relational misattunement, particularly in primary school settings. Participants will explore: How anxiety is experienced physiologically and emotionally by autistic children. The cumulative impact of masking, fatigue, and unmet needs from an autistic perspective. How anxiety often reflects threats to safety, predictability, and belonging. Practical supports that reduce anxiety by changing expectations, environments, and adult responses, thereby restoring a child's sense of agency, belonging and security.

Location

St John the Baptist Boys' National School, Downey Street, Pennywell, , Garryowen , Limerick , V94 FA44

About the trainer

Tara Vernon

Tara Vernon

Tara Vernon is an Autism Trainer Advisor with Middletown Centre for Autism where a key element of her role is to holistically, support autistic children and young people in their education.

Tara’s work is neurodiversity-informed and autism affirming. Prior to joining the Middletown team, Tara worked across home, school, and external agency settings to provide autism specific specialist teaching, training, and emotional regulation support in these environments.

She is a member of both the Psychological Society of Ireland and the Teaching Council of Ireland and is a certified Sleep Counsellor. Tara recently completed a Master of Arts in Autism Studies.