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In advance of World Autism Month 2022, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan today (Wednesday, 30 March) announced the publication of Autism Good Practice Guidance for Schools – Supporting Children and Young People.
This guidance document has been developed as a resource for schools to support the needs of students with autism. It aims to assist teachers, SNAs and others working with children and young people with autism in an education setting to understand their needs so there can be effective engagement.
The guidance was developed by an expert working group drawn from the National Educational Psychological Service, the National Council for Special Education, the department’s Inspectorate and the Middletown Centre for Autism.
In welcoming the guidance, Minister Madigan said:
“My vision is of an education system with inclusion at its heart where every child is fully supported to reach their full potential. School staff do wonderful work to support students and today’s announcement is about making sure they have the resources they need. This guidance provides an essential reference point for people working with autistic children and young people in an education setting. It is the first and most comprehensive guidance framework of its kind and can be accessed through a user friendly interactive online portal on the department’s website.
“The guidance draws from a wide range of local and international research and effective practice in the area and will help schools in their practice and engagement in the school and classroom environment. More broadly, the guidance will inform teacher education programmes and training programmes for school staff.”
The guidance is relevant to supporting students across mainstream, special class and special school settings. It provides information and support across eight key areas of practice to support the wellbeing, learning and participation of students with autism.
A companion document to the guidance document, outlines indicators of effective practice which schools can use as part of a reflective process to review aspects of provision for students with autism.
Minister Madigan said:
“Education is a right and should be vindicated as such. In developing this guidance, the department aims to ensure that all our schools have the knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to adapt their culture, provision and environment so that all our autistic students can engage in meaningful, full-time participation in their school communities. Consultation with education stakeholders was a central element in the development of the guidance and the guidance will be reviewed and updated in light of experience.
“Today’s publication is a further support in ensuring that inclusion remains at the heart of education and that every child is able to fulfil their full potential at school. I am confident that these supports will be of benefit to many students, their teachers and families.
“I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the valuable work being done in schools and classrooms, and the dedication of our school staff to creating a school environment that supports the wellbeing, learning and participation of our autistic students.”
In 2016, the National Council for Special Education's policy advice, Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Schools, set out a number of recommendations to improve education provision for children and young people with autism.
In response to this report, the department convened a working group to develop inter agency Autism Good Practice Guidance for Schools to support children and young people. Drawing on this policy advice and international research, this document provides guidance and support for school staff to meet the varied needs of students with autism.
A companion resource to the guidance document, Autism Good Practice Guidance for Schools: Indicators of Effective Practice, will support schools to engage in a whole-school reflective process to optimise the learning and participation of students with autism.
Membership of the group included NEPS, the Inspectorate, the NCSE, the Middletown Centre for Autism and Department of Education.
This guidance document has been developed as a resource for schools to support the needs of students with autism. It aims to assist school staff to understand the varied nature of those needs, as well as to identify whole-school and individualised approaches to intervention.
The guidance is relevant to supporting students across mainstream, special class and special school settings. It provides information and support across eight key areas of practice to support the wellbeing, learning and participation of students with autism.
A companion document outlines indicators of effective practice which schools can use as part of a reflective process to review aspects of provision for students with autism.
It is envisaged that the guidance will have wider benefits and utility. For example, it may be helpful to parents and others working with students with autism. Many of the strategies may also be adapted to support students with differing special educational needs (SEN), including learning, social-emotional and/or behavioural needs.
Furthermore, many of the approaches outlined in the guidance (for example: visual-structured teaching approaches and positive interactional environments) can benefit all students.
An implementation project will commence in September 2022 to identify any supports that will help ensure successful and positive engagement with the guidance.