Autism resources

Find useful autism resources and guides.

To find guidance on autism use the following online guidance and downloads:

Tools

To find online tools to help you support autistic children and young people use the following online guidance and downloads:

Speech and language therapy

Use the following links to watch videos about speech and language therapy. All the following speech and language therapy videos were created by the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT):

Teaching resources

To find teaching resources to help you support autistic children and young people use the following online guidance, downloads and information:

  • A quick guide to neurodiversity for educators video - For promoting discussion amongst colleagues ​
  • Autism - how does Intensive Interaction help people with ASD? - Develops social communication with children, young people and adults who have communication or social difficulties
  • Autistic and OK! - A peer-led programme and toolkit for secondary schools created by Ambitious about Autism to empower autistic pupils to take control of their mental health and wellbeing, understand themselves, and feel ok
  • Boing Boing​ - Models and promotes resilience research and practise challenging social inequalities Colourful semantics - System for colour-coding sentences according to the role of different words. Helps children break down sentences and understand the individual meaning of a word and its role in a sentence. Can help children to better understand word order and build meaningful, well-structured sentences.
  • Colours and Monsters - Recognising emotions
  • Copy box - Large container with a double set of toys in it (2 ducks, 2 hairbrushes, 2 cars etc). Copy what your child does with their chosen toy to provide opportunities to develop language and play
  • Descriptive Commentary - a different way of interacting with a child at play. It makes no demands on the child to perform to the adult’s agenda. It simply provides a gentle running commentary on what the child is doing and what is happening
  • Developing Oral Language – barrier games – Oral Language underpins the development of other language skills such as reading and writing. By focusing on Activities which develop oral language skills, children learn to manipulate and control language to suit their purpose. Barrier Games are a great oral language tool as they provide opportunities to develop skills for both speaking (composing) and listening (reception/comprehension).
  • Comic Strip Conversations by Carol Gray - Illustrated interactions teaching conversation skills to students with autism and related disorders
  • Comic Strip Conversations - Video supporting communication and understanding of social situations
  • First-Then Board - Visual tool based on the principle that a person’s motivation to complete a less preferred activity is increased when it is followed by a more preferred activity
  • Friendship Terrace - Series of stories for children with difficulties in forming relationships and children with an autistic spectrum disorder​
  • Identiplay - Intervention that helps develop a shared focus between the child and adult
  • Learning about neurodiversity at school (LEANS) - Autism Awareness Teaching Programme KS2
  • Musical Communication - Developed from “Musical Interaction” (Wendy Prevezer: Sutherland House School):
    • ​uses music and song to develop ‘Reasons, Means and Opportunities’ to communicate
    • use symbols combined with objects and song sets to enhance meaning and enable choice
    • encourage spontaneous responses within a visually structured format
    • not music therapy
  • Playing People Games - Simple repetitive games that require at least two people (no toys needed). For example, finger games (Round and Round the Garden, This Little Piggy), simple songs and rhymes with actions (Row Row your Boat, Ring-a Ring- a-Rosie), tickle games, hide and seek, peek-a-boo, tag chase, riding on adult backs and bounces on adult knees.
  • Scaffolding language - Supports children learn of language by making language accessible. Helps children learn new skills by building on the skills they already have
  • Sensory circuits at home - You need activities from each of the sections. Alerting could include star jumps, running, skipping (set a limit). Organising could include throw and catch, head shoulders knees and toes, Simon says. Calming could include listening to music, reading a book, breathing exercises, roll an object over legs and body using gentle pressure
  • Social Stories created by ​Carol Gray​ - Short description of a particular situation, event or activity to teach everyday social skills to children and young people with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome and their peers Stages of typical play and development - Types of play: functional, physical movement, pretend, schematic and sensory. Stages of typical social play development: associative, cooperative, observer, parallel, solitary and spectator play
  • Talking About Friends - Pack of materials for developing situational understanding and verbal reasoning focussing on relationships with friends
  • Talk, Listen, Cuddle (TLC) - Helps parents, carers and families give by developing their communication skills through playful learning at home
  • The Attention Autism Programme - Targets the teaching of attention, communication and social interaction skills and suitable for pre-verbal children
  • The Confusing World of Words - Video showing the importance of visual supports
  • The Zones of Regulation - A simple approach to developing self-regulation
  • Using Lego therapy with autistic pupils - Helps children develop social skills, turn taking and communication skills groups
  • Widgit - InPrint 3 - Allows you to create books, flashcards, labels, leaflets, posters, signs, timetables and worksheets