This 2-day course equips attendees with the skills to set up and run the 4 Stage Attention Autism programme. The training focuses on the practical aspects of intervention, working in a team and offering an irresistible invitation to learn.

The Attention Autism programme targets the teaching of attention, communication and social interaction skills. The training is run by applying the principles of the attention autism programme throughout each day. There are demonstrations of the techniques in action, films of work with children, practical hands-on experience for participants and ideas for activities. The intention is to share the practical skills needed for participants to feel confident in setting up and running the intervention immediately.

Attention Autism Day 1 Workshop: 3rd February 2020, 9.30am until 4.30pm 

Day 1 Explores the impact of autism spectrum disorders on the development of attention skills and the impact this has on a child’s ability to learn both 1:1 and in a group. The workshop sets out the first two stages of the 4 stage Attention Autism programme; Stage 1 Focusing Attention, Stage 2 Sustaining attention. The workshop provides practical hands-on opportunities for the attendees to try out activities at each stage and discuss application of the programme within their setting or service.

Attention Autism Day 2 Workshop: 25th March, 9.30am until 4.30pm

Day 2 Explores the ways in which communication development can be targeted and nurtured within sessions ensuring the needs of the children can be sensitively met whether pre-verbal, non-verbal, able to speak. The focus is on building functional social communication, understanding and spontaneous communication. The intervention looks at the power of shared good times for building engaged learning and trusting relationships where interaction, problem communication and learning can flourish. The workshop provides an opportunity to solve any issues that have arisen in applying the first 2 stages of the programme in practice and then introduces Stage 3 Shifting Attention and Stage 4 focusing and sustaining attention including a transition to independent working. Methods for planning and recording sessions and linking the intervention to the curriculum and personalised planning for a child is incorporated into the day. Ideas and activities are shared and the attendees are then ready to set up and run the full programme!

Learning Outcomes

• An understanding of how to engage children with autism
• How to teach children with autism to focus, sustain and shift their attention
• An understanding of how to teach, encourage and support communication
• An understanding of how to foster group learning skills
• An understanding of how to embed early social interaction skills into group work
• How to set up and run the intervention with groups of children
• How to nurture the supporting team working with you
• How to modify and adapt levels of stimulation/distraction in a group setting
• How to use shared good times with the group and staff team working together in highly engaging activities to build relationships and trust
• A framework that encourages breadth and depth in learning for those who find linear progression challenging
• To provide activities with a high density of learning opportunities

Benefits to the staff team

Confident and fluent use of:

• Dynamic visually supported communication skills
• Adapted and modified language to increase understanding and spontaneous expressive communication
• Engagement as a fundamental technique for tackling behaviour problems
• Techniques that encourage children to develop self-regulation skills
• Demonstration and modelling
• Delivery of activities that inspire children’s attention and motivate communication and interaction
• Techniques and activities that target individual and curriculum objectives

Cost 

This two-day training course costs £210 and includes lunch on both days.