Autism, Girls and Keeping it All Inside

6 hours in total

3hrs with autistic students & SENCO/teacher/TAs, 3hrs with school staff – flexible on how the hours are delivered.

Girls are diagnosed considerably later than boys on average (some research in Wales suggests 6 years later) and often not until secondary school, when everything changes and the young person’s coping and masking strategies no longer work. It’s part of Autistic Girls Network’s mission as a charity to campaign for greater understanding of how autism presents internally, which tends to be how autism commonly presents in girls (and if it doesn’t, they have probably been diagnosed much younger). If you have a better understanding of what you would be looking for, you can spot the signs and refer earlier so that neuro-affirmative support can be put in place. The earlier the young person is recognised as autistic and positively supported, the less likely that severe mental health issues will develop.

This training will help to

  • Understand why autistic girls are often missed and their issues not validated

  • Understand the signs of an internal presentation of autism

  • Understand the concept of autistic masking

  • Understand the concept of autistic burnout

  • Identify what being autistic means to the young person

  • Build knowledge of aspects of an autistic profile that are common such as interoceptive issues and alexithymia – both can cause misunderstanding and anxiety in a school setting and it’s important that all are aware of them

  • Identify what triggers dysregulation and what helps to self-regulate

  • Develop self-advocacy skills

  • Understand sensory issues for autistic pupils

  • Understand gender experiences may be different for autistic young people

  • Build knowledge of neurodiversity in a neuro-affirmative way

Students and teachers will be told exactly what to expect before taking part, so that we eliminate as much uncertainty as possible (uncertainty = anxiety).

We include:

  • Teacher notes

  • Pupil worksheets

  • A Q & A session and email support for a month following the training

PRICE: £700 (no VAT)

Please contact us for more details.

These sessions were super insightful, engaging and really helpful. It is so important to hear about Autism in girls and from someone who is so well informed and experienced. It has been really helpful and I look forward to being able to apply some of this new knowledge to my teaching.

Staff member, Durham Sixth Form

It was clear that Cathy has substantial knowledge and experience with Autism. I loved how she covered every aspect we should consider when working with young people with Autism.

Staff member, Durham Sixth Form