From parent to professional

How BeyondAutism Early Years inspired a new career

Aleksandra, a mother of three, started attending BeyondAutism Early Years with her eldest daughter Anjelika, in October 2021. She later attended with her son Jay, who is currently enrolled in the Early Years School Readiness group. Inspired by her experiences at the weekly parent groups, Aleksandra embarked on a journey that led her to pursue a career in Inclusion and Additional Support Need Education.

Before discovering BeyondAutism, Aleksandra tells us that she struggled to understand her daughter’s autism diagnosis. Reflecting on BeyondAutism Early Year’s impact on her daughter, she shared:

“My first session (at BeyondAutism Early Years) was quite exciting and at the same time, it was emotional because until then, I didn’t know anything about autism. Then we started attending the parent groups, we received support, especially from the parent session and from their specialist work with my child. I gained knowledge on how to work with my children, how to help them and in just three or four months, I saw huge progress in my daughter’s behaviour.”

As she continued to see improvements with her daughter and further expand her own knowledge, she was inspired to become a teaching assistant for children with additional support needs. “By helping my children, it gave me the opportunity to help other children and other parents as well”. Since making this decision she’s attended Campus Accelerated Programme for Adults, joined additional group sessions for parents and children, received a certificate on preventing physical harm and has taken several SEN courses, all of which has led her to her current role as Teaching Assistant at Drumbeat Downham.

The insights she gained from the parent groups not only transformed her home life, but also supported her career aspirations. “It was easy to do my assignments and my tutor was really impressed with me because of my experience from BeyondAutism… everything that I’ve learned at BeyondAutism, I’ve read in this SEN course, there was nothing that I didn’t really know”.

Strategies and skills like Makaton, visual supports and sensory techniques have helped her connect with her children at home and excel professionally. Looking ahead, Aleksandra aspires to become an occupational therapist. “For the future I want to be, and will make sure I’ll be, an occupational therapist. I’ve started studying to become an occupational therapist, not just because of my children but because of myself and helping other families as well”.

Aleksandra’s story is a testament to the profound impact of a support network that combines professional input with the shared experiences of other parents, benefiting both autistic individuals and their families. Aleksandra’s journey from a parent seeking support to a professional providing it highlights the transformative power of community and education.

At BeyondAutism Early Years we believe that families who are resilient, informed and confident make very different decisions, directly impacting the outcomes for their children.

“Because of BeyondAutism, I can proudly say that I can help my children, and other children too”.

If you’d like to find out more about a career in special education, why not head over to our vacancies page? We’ve got a range of exciting opportunities across our services working with learners aged 1 all the way to 25.