AET Autism and Inclusion Module – 3rd June 2024 at Oakhill Centre

Who is this module for?

For practitioners in early years, schools or post 16 settings.

This module on inclusion and autism will provide delegates with an idea as to what the key causes are of autistic children and young people being excluded from school, and how staff can prevent exclusion occurring or, when it does occur, provide support for the CYP’s successful return or transition on to their next placement.

Much of what is presented in this module is based on a research study conducted by the University of Birmingham’s Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER). The report from this study is available for all delegates as their main reference.

The aims

The aim of this module is to enable delegates to:

• Understand the legal context of autism and exclusion
• Understand the risk of illegal exclusion and how to avoid it occurring
• Better understand the triggers and ways of managing distressed behaviours
• Reflect on ways to support autistic CYP and their families during the period of exclusion
• To consider ways of transitioning the autistic CYP back into school and how to manage the reintegration meeting

Learning objectives

After completing this module delegates will be able to:

• Demonstrate better knowledge of what is expected of settings in terms of the rights of CYP and families in terms of exclusion
• See the exclusion experience through the eyes of the autistic CYP
• Reflect on their own role in the exclusion process and consider how they can make reasonable adjustments to reduce the risk of exclusion repeating
• Understand how exclusion can significantly negatively impact on autistic pupils’ school experiences and outcomes
• Recognise how the whole setting has a role to play in helping autistic pupils avoid exclusion