Author: Lesley Parker

Autism Outreach Service – Coronavirus, A book for children

  By
A free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. Published by Nosy Crow, and written by staff within the company, the book has had expert input: Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine acted as a consultant, and the company also had advice from two head teachers and a child psychologist.

You can download a copy of the book by clicking on the cover page above.

The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9 year olds:

• What is the coronavirus?
• How do you catch the coronavirus?
• What happens if you catch the coronavirus?
• Why are people worried about catching the coronavirus?
• Is there a cure for the coronavirus?
• Why are some places we normally go to closed?
• What can I do to help?
• What’s going to happen next?

Nosy Crow want to make sure that this book is accessible to every child and family and so the book is offered totally free of charge to anyone who wants to read it. However, they have suggested, at the back of the book, that families might make a donation to help our health service if they find the book useful: https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/.

Autism Outreach Service – Explaining Coronavirus, Webinar Slides & Resources

  By

The Scottish Charity,  Children in Scotland recently held a free webinar session …

Explaining coronavirus and managing health anxieties

with children with additional support needs

The webinar was presented by Corrie McLean. Corrie is an Autism Improvement Officer with Autism Network Scotland and has been working with autistic children in some form for nearly 12 years. She has a background in primary school teaching and a focus on additional support needs. Corrie also has a sibling with autism.

You can access the webinar’s presentation slides below,  as well as some additional resources.

Children in Scotland are also hoping to share the webinar on their website shortly so keep an eye out for it!

 

Autism Outreach Service – Staff Resources (CIRCLE Frameworks)

  By ,

The Autism Toolbox – http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/home – through the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT Resources – http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/templates-and-resources) has made available, for free download, the CIRCLE Framework Resources.

There are three frameworks available; early years, primary and secondary.

These resources aim to bring together and share good inclusive practice, focusing on approaches to improve the engagement and achievement of all learners including those who require additional support. Although not autism specific, we would recommend that all schools and staff take a look at the resource designed for their setting.

The CIRCLE Framework is a way of organising and supporting input using a staged system of support, beginning with setting up an inclusive classroom. Checklists and planning tools are included to support discussion and can be used to document strategies used and record professional learning.

While strengthening a whole school approach they can also be used by individual practitioners improving their classroom setting or their approach to supporting individual learners.

For secondary practitioners there is an accompanying professional learning module which allows the CIRCLE resource for Secondary to be explored in more depth. https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=4135

 

                   

Autism Outreach Service – Staff Resources (ASDinfoWales)

  By

A lot of staff, particularly our mainstream colleagues, have been getting in touch asking for ideas on where to find relevant information and guidance to help them support the autistic children and young people in their school and classroom.

To support you in finding information more easily, we are pulling together relevant and appropriate guides, advice and resources from different sites that we, as a service, would recommend you take a look at.

We will be posting regularly so please keep checking back in to see what’s new!

We would also recommend that you browse through all the posts on this site as our colleagues at Orchard Brae School are posting lots of really useful and helpful ideas, resources and advice that are of benefit to all.

The links in this post are for ASD info Wales.

ASD info Wales is the Welsh national site for Autism. Although written from a Welsh perspective, we think you will find the general guides, videos, resources and advice helpful and relevant and easily adaptable to your setting.

 

 

The following links are for three booklets and three videos on the site that are general guides to supporting autistic children and young people in mainstream early years, primary and secondary settings.

 

https://www.asdinfowales.co.uk/resource/A-Guide-for-Early-Years-Settings_Eng.pdf

 

 

 

 

https://www.asdinfowales.co.uk/resource/2015_Autism-A-Guide-for-Mainstream-Primary-Schools-ENG.pdf

 

 

 

 

https://www.asdinfowales.co.uk/resource/2017_Autism-A-Guide-for-Mainstream-Secondary-Schools-Eng.pdf

Autism Outreach Service – Useful Websites

  By

There is a lot of useful information, advice, resources and strategies being posted online to help support autistic children and young people and their families at this time.

We will keep looking for new sites to add so make sure you come back and check to see what’s new!

To get you started, here are some websites that you may find helpful:

 

 The National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for autistic people and their families.

 

Scottish Autism is an organisation dedicated to enabling autistic people to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.

 

The Autism Toolbox is a free online resource developed to support the inclusion of autistic learners in Scottish Educational settings.

 

Do2Learn provide resources for use by parents and teachers on a range of topics.

 

Elsa-Support provides information on, and resources for, emotional literacy support.

 

Twinkl provides a wide range of teaching resources and materials.

Twinkl Parents Hub

 

Sumdog provides personalised maths and spelling activities.

 

 

A resource website with free special needs printable resources and downloads.

 

 

 

 

Autism Outreach Service – Supporting at Home

  By

With schools and government restrictions in place telling us to ‘stay at home’ to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, we are all faced with a huge change to our normal daily routines. This change in routine and structure can be particularly confusing, and may be upsetting, for your child or young person.

The following booklets offer a range of information and advice on supporting your child or young person at home.

 

Life Skills for Little Ones – Falkirk Council

Life Skills for Teenagers – Falkirk Council

Autism at Home – Nottinghamshire Children’s Trust

Coping with Covid-19 Isolation – Cardiff & Vale University Health Board

Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times – UNC Frank Porter Graham CDI

Autism Outreach Service – Sensory Differences

  By

Our lives are full of sensory experience. We all respond to sensory information. We touch, move, see, hear, taste and smell. It is important to recognise that the sensory information we process can have an impact on how we feel, how we think and how we behave and respond. Any of the senses may be over, or under sensitive, or both, at different times.

These booklets will give you some ideas and examples of things that you can try to help you support your child or young person with their sensory experiences.

  • Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour – Falkirk Council
  • Sensory Approach for Parents and Carers – Falkirk Council
  • Sensory Issues in Autism – East Sussex Council

                           

Autism Outreach Service – Some Ideas and Resources!

  By

We understand that changes to routine, the sensory challenges of increased hand washing and the general anxiety of the situation surrounding Coronavirus (Covid-19) may be having a big impact on your child or young person, so over the next few days we will be sharing some ideas and resources that may help you manage these things at home.

We will update with new resources as and when we can so please check back regularly to see what’s new!

To get you started here is a social story written by Carol Gray that may be useful to share with your child or young person if they are feeling anxious or unsure about what is going on around them concerning the Coronavirus.