Supporting Autistic Learners

Supporting Autistic Learners This session offers a nuanced, strengths based exploration of how autistic children experience, understand, and engage with learning in Primary School contexts. Rather than viewing difference as deficit, the training foregrounds autistic cognition as a valid and valuable way of being, with direct implications for classroom practice, curriculum design, and school culture. Drawing on evidence informed practice, the session highlights the strong visual processing profiles often seen in autistic learners and demonstrates how well designed visual approaches can function as core teaching tools, not add ons. Emphasis is placed on how visuals support access to learning, reduce cognitive load, and promote emotional safety across the Primary School Day. Primary School professionals will deepen their understanding of: Why visual approaches are powerful teaching and communication tools that align naturally with many autistic learners' cognitive preferences in literacy, numeracy, and play based learning. How visual supports enhance understanding, independence, communication, self-regulation, and wellbeing within classrooms, small groups, and whole school routines. How visuals can be embedded into lesson structure, transitions, behaviour expectations, and classroom environments to create predictability, coherence, and felt safety. A flexible repertoire of practical, classroom ready visual strategies that honour each child's individuality, strengths, interests, sensory profile, and individual profile, strengths, interests, support needs, and learning journey