Autism

Some children in the school have received a diagnosis of Autism. In Birmingham, this diagnosis is given by the Paediatrician and within Worcestershire you will go through the Umbrella Pathway.

Autism is considered to be a disorder of development, characterised by difficulties with language, communication and social interaction, rigidity of thought and behaviour, poor motor coordination and sensory perceptual difficulties.

Some of the difficulties may include:

• Difficulties mixing with others
• Talking excessively about a specific target
• May avoid eye contact
• May interrupt conversations with repeptitive questions
• May take little account of listeners and react and talk to them regardless of their age or who they are.
• May take language literally
• May not understand facial expressions
• May have obsessions which appear to take over their life
• May struggle with change
• May struggle to follow school routines
• May only respond to instructions if they feature their name
• May talk over the top of other children and adults
• May benefit from an individual workstation to work from
• May need pre warning of change
• May need thinking time

Girls with Autism often have a very different profile from boys. They are often diagnosed much later, or may not actually receive a diagnosis at all.

Possible characteristics may include:

• Likes routines
• Dislikes trends
• Quiet and shy
• Sensory difficulties
• Fine motor difficulties
• Compliant and passive
• Will not ask for help
• May avoid work on order to mask difficulties
• Has explosive outbursts/ meltdowns
• Perfectionists
• May not have a strong sense of identity
• Might try to control their friends
• High anxiety levels

The Autism Education Trust have produced some videos on their webpage by children once they have received a diagnosis. These videos might be helpful to look through and if appropriate share with your child if you get a diagnosis of Autism. They are available on https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/receiving-and-understanding-a-diagnosis/

If you suspect your child might have Autism please come and see us to discuss any concerns.

Within school we would support your child with any changes to routine and would use resources such as social stories and comic strip conversations to share information and discuss things that have happened. Autism West Midlands produced some great fact sheets explaining this to parents. These are attached below.  Please see their webpage for more details.