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Empowering People, Launching lives

Welcome to the BeyondAutism blog

Read stories from people with autism, their families and the people who work with them.

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12th December 2024

3 mins read

How sport and fitness changed my life

The link between fitness and mental health is well established. In this blog, Andrew looks at how sport positively impacted his mental health, reducing his anxiety and providing him with a career option

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11th December 2024

5 mins read

Organisational skills and building independence

What's the connection between organisational skills and independence? In our latest blog, OT's Abigail and Stefani look at how these essential skills can help boost independence for autistic learners

25th November 2024

1 min read

Supported work experience at Early Years

Find out how through the Higher Needs Supported Internship Programme, working at Early Years is helping Hope grow in confidence and skills whilst inspiring those around her.

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30th October 2024

3 mins read

Managing school trips

Organising a day or residential trip can sometimes be overwhelming. Here, we break down the importance of out-of-school learning for learners and share some key tips to make your trips accessible for all learners.

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15th October 2024

2 mins read

Pedalling for a purpose: Glen’s epic ride to Brussels for BeyondAutism

After a mammoth 26 hour ride, we spoke with Glen, who along with two friends took on this epic challenge and raised £2,400. Find out more about his journey here

30th September 2024

4 mins read

Before and after diagnosis: what support is available?

The period before and after an autism diagnosis can be full of uncertainty. In this blog, we look at what support is available for those going through the process and how to access that support.

27th September 2024

2 mins read

From parent to professional

Find out how attending Early Years, and the skills and knowledge picked up from the service, inspired a new career in special education for one parent

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26th July 2024

6 mins read

Sleep challenges and autism

Does your child have issues with their sleep? Check out some super simple tips and strategies to help support your bedtime routine...

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12th July 2024

5 mins read

Supporting mental health at school

Issues with mental health affect around three quarters of autistic children and adults. Take a look at our blog highlighting some great strategies and techniques to support autistic learners at school

21st June 2024

1 min read

The £1 billion SEN deficit

CEO, Tracie Coultas-Pitman, responds to recent reports of councils in England facing a near £1 billion deficit in SEN funding and how our BeyondAutism Fast Responder® service is helping find solutions.

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15th April 2024

3 mins read

My autism acceptance journey

In our latest guest blog, Mariss shares her autism journey - from how she felt as a child, her creative flair and what changed with a diagnosis. Read more about her story here.

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9th April 2024

2 mins read

Woodland Connections

Join us as we extend the classroom far beyond its walls and into nature. Find out all about our Woodland Connections initiative and the impact it had on our learners.

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7th March 2024

4 mins read

What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?

What are the typical characteristics associated with a PDA profile? And how can people with a PDA profile be appropriately supported? Find out answers to these questions on more in our latest blog

13th February 2024

5 mins read

Autism and emotional regulation

Emotional regulation can be hard for any young person. Here we look at some of the reasons behind why that is, as well as strategies to support autistic learners.

7th February 2024

4 mins read

Sam’s story to Para LaserRun success

Join guest author Dr Nic Robinson as she highlights the importance of exercise and sporting community for mental health with an exciting new sport Para LaserRun

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24th January 2024

3 mins read

The government push for 100% attendance is unrealistic…

...when the reality is that mental health and SEN resources are at breaking point. Matt Wicks takes a deeper look at the issues faced by schools and how targets like this don't help the learners.

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12th January 2024

4 mins read

Our autism journey

Hear from Nirvana, parent of a 4-year old autistic boy, on her journey through diagnosis and the importance of talking, sharing and support networks for parents

7th December 2023

3 mins read

‘The acceptable autistic’

In our latest blog, a BeyondAutism Intern looks at what needs to change to create a more inclusive society accepting of the wide range of talent, abilities and potential amongst autistic people

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21st November 2023

3 mins read

Building strategies for resilience

Knowing how we manage adversity and what we need to enable a healthy recovery can provide the building blocks for future adversity. The importance of resilience, strategies to support and more...

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16th November 2023

3 mins read

Exclusion ‘trauma’ and what needs to change

With more and more learners experience traumatic exclusions, we take a look at what needs to change and how our BeyondAutism Fast Responder® service can support

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14th November 2023

4 mins read

The power of collaborative volunteering

Learn about Tiffany's journey at BeyondAutism Early Years and see how volunteering experiences can be adapted to meet individual needs.

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9th November 2023

3 mins read

Occupations: The building blocks of life

For Occupational Therapy (OT) Week we take a look into the theme of occupations and why OT is so important in an educational environment

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2nd October 2023

4 mins read

Autism, feeding and eating challenges

89% of autistic children have some form of difficulty with feeding behaviours. Here, Carrie talks through some common issues around eating and strategies to support

17th August 2023

2 mins read

Finding my voice through writing

In this special post, Charlie Baker, author of Autism and Me, shares how writing became such an important tool for him as a form of communication and how he hopes his writing will inspire others.

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2nd August 2023

4 mins read

Behaviour Analysis training for Child Nursing students

Rose and Avanelle, lecturers at London South Bank University, take a look at the need for more training on SEN for student nurses and how their collaboration with BeyondAutism has supported their students

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31st July 2023

2 mins read

Sophia’s Big BeyondAutism Sponsored Silence: Even Bigger This Year!

Here's how Sophia, 8, and her friends raised over £2,000 by not saying a word... all to support her brother and other autistic children

25th July 2023

5 mins read

Understanding the Behaviour Cycle

We take an in-depth look at what the behaviour cycle is and how it can be a useful tool for creating a collaborative approach to behaviour and removing barriers to education.

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19th June 2023

4 mins read

Preparing autistic learners for the summer holidays

Whilst for some it brings joy, for others the summer holidays can be a stressful time. Here, Carrie shares some suggestions to help prepare autistic learners for summer.

6th June 2023

4 mins read

Does neurodiversity exclude you from creative careers?

Often neurodiversity and creative careers aren’t seen as compatible, but it’s time that changed. Hear from David about how he found his perfect role.

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24th May 2023

6 mins read

Autism – women and girls

We take a look into the school experience for autistic girls as well as the possible pitfalls of the current diagnostic criteria which is leading to under-diagnosis amongst women

12th May 2023

1 min read

BeyondAutism’s Experience with the BrightSign Glove

A look at a recent trial with an exciting new piece of AAC technology and how this might impact our learners going forward

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18th April 2023

5 mins read

Removing the cliff edge to adulthood: looking beyond education

The leap from education into adult life is daunting for any young person. Here we look at how we can prepare autistic children to make the transition into adulthood as smooth as possible

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30th March 2023

2 mins read

‘Children put at risk’ as NHS autism assessments are cut back

Our response to worrying reports of the new referral criteria for children's autism assessments in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

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27th March 2023

3 mins read

What does leading autism education look like? 

In this special World Autism Acceptance Week blog, we look at what it means to be leading autism education and what needs to be done to make education more inclusive.

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15th March 2023

2 mins read

Autism, Anxiety & School

Guest writer James Kirkendall shares his experience of growing up with autism, anxiety & a learning disability in the US, reflecting on whether earlier diagnosis would have helped.

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8th March 2023

5 mins read

Autism and sleep

Sleep problems affect over two thirds of autistic children. In this blog, find out the most common sleep issues amongst autistic children as well as strategies to support.

1st March 2023

2 mins read

Cooking with Charlie: episode 3

Join Charlie for the third edition of his blog and get two tasty recipes. Enjoy vegan burgers inspired by his peers and a delicious chocolatey treat!

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23rd February 2023

4 mins read

Challenging the sensory issue

Sensory challenges can have a significant impact on autistic people's everyday lives. We take a look into the sensory systems to find out why this is and some strategies and tools to support.

13th February 2023

3 mins read

Accessibility for learning

Every child has the right to an education which supports them to achieve a life full of choice and opportunity. Here's how an interdisciplinary approach can help us make the modifications needed to achieve this.

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25th January 2023

3 mins read

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA): What it is and solutions to help

School absence for students with SEN is increasing. But what is Emotionally Based School Avoidance and how can we support those learners back into school?

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15th December 2022

3 mins read

What is an adaptive curriculum?

Make your classroom more inclusive. By adapting your curriculum you can reach an entire class with the same lesson, find out how to get started today.

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12th December 2022

2 mins read

Cooking with Charlie: a sweet treat

Looking for stocking filler ideas for Christmas? Take a look at Charlie's latest recipe as he makes chocolate fudge in the second instalment of cooking with Charlie

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8th December 2022

4 mins read

Dealing with medical appointments

Medical appointments can be confusing and unpredictable for many autistic people. Find out how we work with learners to ease anxieties around attending medical appointments and the impact it's had.

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15th November 2022

4 mins read

ABC, so what? The importance of analysing behaviour data

With budgets stretched across the country it is more important than ever to take an analytical approach to behaviour to promote inclusion and reduce school placement breakdown

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13th November 2022

2 mins read

Cooking with Charlie

In the first of a new series, join Charlie, a Post-19 student, as he talks about his love of cooking. Find out where his passion stems from as he shares some of his favourite recipes, starting with a classic

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17th October 2022

3 mins read

Autism in children

What are the signs of autism in children? Does it run in the family? What support can I get? Read on for answers to these and many more questions about autism in children.

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28th September 2022

3 mins read

The importance of person-centred planning and things to consider

Person-centred planning is a great way of ensuring that the individual remains at the heart of any decisions that affect them. Find out more about PCPs and their uses.

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7th September 2022

3 mins read

Transitions: big to small

From big to small, we face transitions every day. Find out how you can support autistic people with transitions and take away key support strategies and resources

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9th August 2022

3 mins read

Reasonable adjustments in the work place

Take a look at some top tips for making your workplace more inclusive: from accessible interviews to support at work.

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22nd July 2022

3 mins read

5 ways to make a retail store more autism-friendly

Rachel Clinkard of footwear retailer Charles Clinkard shares some great tips on how to make your store more autism-friendly

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15th July 2022

2 mins read

A sponsored silence with a difference: Sophia’s story

Here's how Sophia, 7, raised an incredible £784 by not saying a word... all to support her brother and children like him

30th June 2022

3 mins read

Educating from an autism perspective

Robert, our intern, shares his own personal experiences of school and how neurodiversity can be better supported in the classroom.

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13th June 2022

3 mins read

Starting school transition – a guide for parents and teachers

Starting a new school year can be a difficult time for autistic children. Here are some great tips for parents and teachers to ease the transition.

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5th May 2022

2 mins read

nPlan take on the Color Obstacle Rush

Find out how a chance encounter inspired Alex to start fundraising for BeyondAutism

31st March 2022

2 mins read

What does meaningful employment look like?

Flexibility is needed, now more than ever, to ensure that autistic people are given the opportunities to access meaningful employment

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3 mins read

Why is employment important to me?

For World Autism Acceptance Week, we spoke to our interns to find out what barriers they have faced in the past and why employment is important to them.

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30th March 2022

3 mins read

A different approach is needed to tackle exclusion rates in autistic children

This week we’re challenging people to think about how they can help change some of the national statistics that exist for autistic children and young adults.

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28th March 2022

3 mins read

Fighting to get the right placement for your child

We spoke to Alison, a BeyondAutism parent, about her fight to secure educational provision for her son, Elliott.

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12th November 2021

2 mins read

How bad do the statistics need to get?

How many more reports and surveys need to be generated before school communities collectively seek solutions

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22nd September 2021

2 mins read

Autism, employment and the change that’s needed

Everyone deserves the opportunity to access meaningful employment. Working has a positive effect on the

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12th May 2021

3 mins read

The genius of Lewis Carroll and how autism impacts creativity

Ever since I was a little girl ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll has been my favourite novel.

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30th April 2021

4 mins read

Autism and being LGBTQ+

In this blog I will discuss the challenges that people with autism who are also LGBTQ+ can face and how being part of both groups can cause challenges on their own.

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24th November 2020

4 mins read

5 things employers should know about autism

What can employers do to promote neurodiversity and support their autistic employees?

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