Autism Team
Who we are:
o We are a team of specialist teachers and transition support workers who are based in the Nottingham City Inclusive Education Service. We are a school-based service
What do we do?
· We offer specialist support, training, advice and guidance to schools and settings in order to develop good autism practice
· We support schools and settings in using the graduated approach – assess, plan, do, review - to meet the needs of all autistic children
· We can offer individualised support through a school referral. This could include assessment, observation, target setting and review, as well as providing guidance on using approaches, interventions and resources
· We offer tailored transition support for autistic children moving between schools
· We support families by sharing information and resources, through liaison with schools and settings, including attending meetings where applicable, and through the delivery of a range of parent/carer workshops
· We communicate with other professionals e.g. Speech Therapists/Educational Psychologists, to ensure a joined up approach to support
· We can be part of statutory assessment eg for an Education, Health and Care plan
Transition support
The Autism Team has a team of Transition Support Workers who are able to offer programmes of support in times of significant change and transition at all Key Stages. Support is offered to those young people who meet the criteria and may experience the greatest difficulty with transfer and change.
How do we work
We work using a strengths-based approach, with the understanding that autism is a difference, not a deficit. Our aim is to support and upskill schools to be as inclusive as possible in their autism practice. We are committed to helping all autistic children and young people achieve their best possible outcomes
Who we work with:
We support every maintained school in Nottingham City and each school has their own allocated specialist teacher. For individualised support, a school referral can be made if:
· The child has a confirmed diagnosis of autism or is undergoing assessment on the neuro-developmental pathway, under a paediatrician
· The child is aged between 3 and 19 years old
· The child lives in Nottingham City and attends a Nottingham City School, or lives outside of Nottingham City but attends a city school
· The child is attending school
· The school requires additional specialist support and advice to what would be considered ordinarily available
Support for families
The Autism Team works in partnership with locality-based parent support and provides workshops for parents and carers. Signposting and details of events can be found on our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nottinghamautism/ and X page https://twitter.com/city_autism?lang=en
Parents should contact the school in the first instance if they feel their child requires specialist support in school from the Autism Team
Training
We offer training tailored to the needs of your school or organisation covering the following areas:
o Autism Education Trust Professional Development Programme for schools https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/
o Autism Team bespoke training packages
Further Information
For further details please speak to your autism specialist teacher.
Brochure
Contact
Name: Lindsay McCalla (Autism Team Leader)
Tel: 0115 8765311
Email: autismteam@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Packages of support to schools
A 5% discount is available for schools that purchase a package and sign up for a 3 year contract.
Package content
Representatives of the school and the appropriate team(s) will agree the detail of the support required within the package.
The package does not include any costs incurred by school for attendance at central training events, conferences or network meetings. For further information re the SENCO Network, SENCO Conference and central training calendar please contact Central.Training@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Terms and Conditions
1. Cancellation by Autism Team
If for any reason (e.g. illness) the Autism Team are unable to deliver a planned session, the service will consider the following options with the school:
o Alternative staff member to deliver session
o Agree alternative date
o Reimburse school for service that has not been provided
2. Cancellation by the school
If a session is cancelled by school the following charges will apply:
o Two weeks or more notice - no charge
o Less than 2 weeks notice - 50% charge
o Less than 1 weeks notice - 100% charge to be made
