Understanding autism – supporting autistic children and young people

How we define autism has changed significantly and conceptualisations are likely to continue to evolve over time. Myths, as well as outdated and controversial theories, interventions and language persist, and these can create barriers to effective and relational support for autistic children, young people, and their families.

This participative webinar seeks to reframe the narrative around autism and provide up-to-date information, with a particular focus on autistic ways of being in childhood and adolescence. We will use new lenses to look at autistic experiences and help us understand differences in both development and need.

This session will reflect on individual practitioners’ roles and explore biases which may unwittingly contribute to negative outcomes for autistic children and young people, and essentially address the question: how can we build an evidence-informed understanding of autistic experience in order to improve practice, and importantly the wellbeing of autistic children and young people?