We are a team of qualified teachers and specialist practitioners who support children and young people on the Autism Spectrum.  We aim to ensure that children have the opportunity to reach their full potential in all areas of development including academic, social and emotional wellbeing.

We work to support Barnet mainstream schools (primary and secondary) by offering:

  • A variety of autism specific training and workshop packages for:
    • Parents (Barnados Cygnets programme – see below)
    • Schools (dates for 2022 to be confirmed)
  • School visits - including joint observations and feedback meetings to develop individual SEN plans according to children’s needs.
  • Bespoke support and advice in implementing autism specific strategies.
  • Attendance at key professionals meetings
  • Targeted support during key transition periods; reception year in mainstream primary schools and mainstream secondary school transition.  Please see information regarding our Reception Programme (see below) and Secondary Transition Programme. 

To contact our team please email [email protected]

 

Cygnets parent/carer support and training will be offered centrally and in schools to parents of children and young people on the Autism Spectrum. This programme is designed for parents and carers of children and young people aged 6-18 with an autistic spectrum condition. The programme is designed to:

  • increase parents understanding of autistic spectrum conditions
  • help parents develop their knowledge on how a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world
  • guide parents through practical strategies they can use with children
  • direct parents to relevant resources
  • give parents the opportunity to meet with other parents, gain support and learn from each other.
 
 
Every child is special and unique. Children on the autism spectrum can experience the world in a unique way that should be explored and utilised when helping them learn. The four key areas of difference:
 

 

Whilst exploring these areas of difference we adopt a multidisciplinary model of support called the Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support (SCERTS) model in order to assess and plan for the needs of a child.

  • "SC” - Social Communication – the development of communication skills, emotional expression, and the formation of meaningful relationships with children and adults;
  • “ER” - Emotional Regulation - developing the ability to maintain a well-regulated emotional state and to cope with everyday stress. This is essential in order to be available for learning and interacting;
  • “TS” – Transactional Support – the development and implementation of supports in      response to the child’s needs and interests. Adults working with children on the autism spectrum  need to be able to modify and adapt the environment, and provide tools to enhance learning (e.g. picture communication, written schedules and sensory supports).

For more information and detail on how we work with schools, please see our 'Working with the Autism Advisory Team' document.  We also work very closely with the BEAM team and a range of other professionals including:

Please see our listing within the service directory for contact details.  Schools can refer to us using the the Child Development Service referral form.

 

 

Autism Advisory Team Reception Programme 

We understand how important transition times can be for autistic children so we have developed a   Barnet reception transition plan  in order to support Barnet children starting in mainstream primary schools.

The school SENCO must send a klm, child development referral form to the school’s allocated Autism Advisory Teacher before the first visit can take place. This is to ensure all the correct details are on the form, including school and personal details, as well as ensuring parental permission.

Please contact your Autism Advisory Teacher for more details or email [email protected]

 

Cygnets Parent/Carer Autism Training Programme

A comprehensive training and support programme running for parents/ carers of children aged 6-19, with a diagnosis of autism.

This course is available free of charge to families living in Barnet. 

Cygnet is a 6-week training course covering topics including:

  • An overview of autism
  • Communication
  • Sensory needs
  • Understanding behaviour

This course also gives parents/carers an opportunity to meet to meet each other and share their experiences.