Positive engagement

Last year the National Autistic Society (NAS) helpline received more than 35,000 calls from individuals seeking help and information about autism in childhood. Not all of these were from families; many calls came from teachers and early years professionals who are struggling to overcome a profound lack of understanding about the disability.

With autism now affecting one per cent of children, it's clear there is a need for more widespread training, and the NAS has been working hard to raise awareness of this.

In particular, it has drawn attention to the fact that there is no duty on Special Education Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) to have any specific training in autism.

As part of its recent 'Make Schools Make Sense' campaign, the NAS presented draft amendments to the Education and Inspections Bill, suggesting that SENCOs in schools should in all cases be qualified teachers who receive ongoing special needs training.

Currently, schools and settings must abide by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, but this only places a duty on them to have a written SEN policy. Whatever arrangements are made for meeting the needs of children, the general duty to identify and make provision for children with SEN remains with the local authority. Training inevitably becomes a matter of a postcode lottery.

Autism is a neurological disorder which affects the functioning of the brain. Although the cause is unknown, research suggests it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is used to describe the group of developmental disorders that includes autism, high functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Three out of four children diagnosed with ASD are male. Recent statistics suggest that the prevalence of autism in children may be as high as one in 110.

An affected child is probably born with ASD, but it is very difficult to diagnose until the child is at least two years old. Early years practitioners who have an autistic child in their setting may find them confused by the world around them and unable to fit in. They have difficulty in understanding what they see, hear and feel.

Janice McKinley, area SENCO at Bradford's Access and Inclusion Unit, says, 'SENCOs in schools receive very little training and it varies widely.

Specific training in autism is not deemed essential. It would depend on the local authority, the school or setting and the SENCOrequesting to be trained.'

She agrees there is a need for more training across all staff. 'A SENCO with training in ASD may struggle to cascade that knowledge down to all practitioners. It really needs a whole school or setting making a commitment to finding out what they can do to help these children. At the moment, training appears to be approached from the angle of individual professional development, which isn't necessarily appropriate.'

Practical strategies Sally Slater delivers courses on behalf of Concept Training that are designed to provide practical strategies.

'Early years practitioners working with autism often find it difficult to problem-solve within the setting,' she says. 'Their biggest concern tends to be with difficult behaviour, such as tantrums, screaming, refusing to eat or sleep and wanting to do things repeatedly.

'The most important thing is to be able to look at why the behaviour is happening. Once that has been established, a practitioner can devise a coping mechanism and be consistent in the way it is applied.'

Sally has worked with many Sure Start teams and believes that these courses have worked particularly well when parents have also attended.

'Practitioners need to work closely with parents to give autistic children the best opportunities. It is very good for the consistency factor.'

Maggie Weber, another trainer for the company, regularly provides sessions for a wide range of practitioners including playworkers, teaching assistants and even early years librarians. She likes to use music as part of her approach. 'Because music crosses all barriers it can reach out to children on any level,' she says. 'My training is not about singling children out, but about inclusive activities that raise self-esteem and complement their personal, social and emotional development. If you get this aspect right, then everything else falls into place.'

Maggie believes that it is unrealistic to expect SENCOs to be experts in autism. 'Autism is a very diverse condition and every child is different,'

she says. 'In the average day-to-day setting, an autistic child might only come along every few years, and the most important thing is to ensure that a practitioner can identify that child when it does.'

Multi-disciplinary route In 2005 Nadia Rice received a commendation award for Welsh Special Needs Teacher of the Year in recognition of her work in establishing a separate resource base at Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos for primary-aged children diagnosed with autism.

She has just been appointed to work in Ysgol Plas Bron Dyffryn, in Denbigh, north Wales, which is recognised as the autistic school of excellence in Wales.

She believes that there needs to be a three-pronged approach to training which includes SENCOs, teachers and family support workers.

'Autism is very complex and a multi-disciplinary approach, where everyone is being consistent, provides children with the best possible opportunities. Intensive interaction strategies are proving to be effective and sustainable, but early diagnosis is key.'

Long-term effects Nadia hopes that her work will contribute to improving the long-term quality of life for those with autism. According to the NAS, 21 per cent of children with an ASD have been excluded from school at least once and as they move into adulthood, finding a suitable job can become an enormous problem.

'Another problem is that many children are bullied in schools as they get older, and the roots come from early years,' says Nadia. 'The lack of ability in professionals to approach autism effectively is not a criticism of individuals but of the system.'

Meanwhile the NAS will continue to campaign for SENCOs and the sector as a whole to be better trained. The ever-increasing number of calls to its helpline continues to underline the urgent need for this.