Nurturing a Positive Autistic Identity

Training for health and social care professionals

2 hours in total – flexible on how the hours are delivered.

An autism diagnosis is much more than just a ‘label’. If you’re autistic, you’ve been autistic your whole life and you will gradually become aware that you experience the world in a different way to many of your peers. Unfortunately, an autism diagnosis carries with it a stigma, and becoming aware of this stigma can be damaging to a young person’s wellbeing as they get older – and the later they are recognised as autistic, the more problematic this becomes. Naturally, we want to remove the stigma, but this depends not on the autistic young person to change, but everyone around them, which is why we advocate for whole school training on neurodiversity – the more you understand about difference, not deficit, the less likely you are to stigmatise. However we can also nurture the young person so that they develop a positive view of their autistic identity, and can become advocates for themselves and others. Health and Social Care Professionals often become involved when a young person is heading into crisis, and at periods when identity development is taking place such as adolescence.

This training will help to

  • Build a connection with key members of staff so that the young person feels safe and understood
  • 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 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 communication issues and the Double Empathy problem

  • Understand sensory issues for autistic pupils

  • Understand sensory issues for autistic pupils

  • Understand the benefits of energy accounting and setting boundaries

  • Understand why it’s so important (for life, not just for school) that autistic pupils are listened to and their needs/requested validated rather than dismissed

  • Build knowledge of neurodiversity in a neuro-affirmative way

PRICE: £300 (no VAT)

Please contact us for more details.