Identification and Diagnosis
Click here to view information about Identification and Diagnosis
Preschool Aged Children
Barnet Children's Centres
Every Children’s Centre is intended to make life better for parents and children under five-years-old.
Children’s Centres offer the following services:
- family support and information, including parenting workshops and drop-in groups
- health services and advice including support before and after the birth of a baby
- access to specialist services, for example, speech and language therapy, midwifery support etc
- home visiting to isolated families
- activities for children, mothers, fathers and carers
- learning opportunities for parents and advice on employment
- childminding support groups
- information and advice including benefit information
- children with additional needs support groups
Children’s centres are open 9 am to 5 pm, 48 weeks of the year. Centres that offer childcare may open for longer.
Barnet is split into three localities, with activities provided across a range of Children's Centres.
You can find details of all Children's Centres in Barnet on the Barnet website. You can enter your postcode, find your local Children’s Centre, see the activity schedule and if you’d like to, join their Facebook group.
After identification/diagnosis, what’s next?
Barnet Early Autism Model (BEAM)
BEAM is part of Barnet’s specialist autism services and has been designed for families of pre-school aged (0-4) . BEAM acts as an early support service based predominantly in the home and we also work with pre-school educational settings. Families receive sessions from a trained autism specialist facilitator, who will teach and model strategies through structured activities that are based on the needs of the individual child. The support focuses on coaching parents to support their child’s development with a focus on:
- Developing social communication skills
- Developing joint attention skills
- Developing play
- Emotional regulation/sensory needs
Parents/carers can use the BEAM sessions to learn skills that they can apply consistently throughout the week. We encourage families to embrace neurodiversity and focus on a child’s strengths and interests in order to build on existing skills.
Support offered by our BEAM service goes beyond structured home-based sessions with a child and also includes:
- Access to our BELS Autism Parent/Carer programme.
- Partnership work with NHS Children’s Therapy Team (CIT)- Barnet Children's Integrated Therapies (CIT) (whittington.nhs.uk) and Early Years SEND Inclusion (EY SEND) Advisory team- Early Years SEND Advisory Team - Oakleigh School
- Target setting informed by the SCERTS framework (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Supports)
- Use of Autism specific approaches based on promoting predictability and generating intrinsic motivation. These strategies include TEACCH principles, using visuals, Colourful Semantics, PECS, Intensive Interaction, Attention Autism and many more.
- Support for preschool educational settings, to include modelling sessions, providing resources, observations and feedback (with next steps) and attending support plan meetings
- Referrals to other services e.g. Early help, CIT team,
- Support and signposting to outside agencies that provide support for families e.g., SENDIASS, MENCAP, Homestart, Family fund.
- Support with Education Health Care Plans and Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) requests for nurseries.
- Transition to school package of support- including information workshops and transition planning and meetings with new school staff.
How do I access support from Barnet Early Autism Model?
In order to access BEAM services, your child must:
- Be a resident of Barnet
- Have a diagnosis of Autism
- Be preschool age (0-4 years old)
- NOT be attending a Barnet specialist nursery (Acorn or Livingstone Kingfisher)
Referrals are often made by paediatricians at the point of a diagnosis of autism, however referrals can be made by parents / carers and other professionals using the Child Development Service referral form. To contact the team please email all enquiries to [email protected].
BELS Autism Parent/Carer Programme
The programme runs each term and was designed with input from parents/carers and includes the following sessions:
- Autism in Early Years (delivered by BEAM teachers/facilitators)
- Emotional regulation and Promoting Predictability (delivered BEAM teachers/facilitators)
- Promoting Communication (delivered by Barnet NHS Speech Therapist)
- Understanding Education and Health Care Plans (delivered by SENDIASS)
- Understanding Sensory Processing (delivered by Barnet NHS Occupational Therapist)
- Eating and Drinking Difficulties (delivered by Barnet NHS Occupational Therapist)
- Sleep (delivered BEAM teachers/facilitators)
- Toileting (delivered by BEAM teachers/facilitators and Barnet Parent)
How do I access the BELS Autism parent carer programme?
In order to access this programme you must:
- Be a resident of Barnet
- Have a child with a diagnosis of Autism
- Be a parent of a child 0-6 years old
You can sign up for this course via an online booking form that can be found on the course flyer- please email [email protected].
Maintained Specialist Nurseries
Acorn Assessment Centre (Nursery)
Provides specialist support in a nursery environment for children with special educational needs aged 2-4 who need an assessment of their needs coupled with highly skilled early intervention. Children are accepted in Acorn at the Acorn Assessment Centre (Nursery) at the discretion of the centre and whether a vacancy exists.
Site 1: Colindale School, Clovelly Close, Colindale, London, NW9 6DT
Site 2: Queenswell Infant School, Sweets Way, Whetstone, N20 0NQ
Contact: Rachel Preston - Assistant Head Teacher
Email: [email protected]
The Kingfisher resourced base nursery class offers 12 part time nursery places for children 2-4 years old. Nursery children are not guaranteed a reception year place.
Livingstone Primary School, Baring Road, New Barnet EN4 9BU
Contact: Lisa Nicholson - Resource Provision Manager
Tel: 0208 449 2592
Email: [email protected]
Primary School Aged Children
What maintained schools and provisions are available in Barnet?
Most Autistic children in Barnet attend mainstream primary schools.
Some children are educated in special schools.
In addition, some children access additional support in Autism Resourced Provisions in mainstream School. More information about primary provisions in Barnet can be found at
The Barnet Autism Advisory Team for Primary Schools
Who we are?
We are a team of experienced specialist advisory teachers, and facilitators.
What do we do?
We work in Barnet primary schools working with Autistic young people. We also offer training to schools, parents/ carers and families, in collaboration with Autistic trainers.
In schools we offer
- Strategic planning and casework
- Staff training and workshops
- Multidisciplinary working
- Support for well-being and emotional regulation, including environmental adjustments.
- Support for curriculum and engagement, including motivation, thinking and learning.
- Support for social communication, and developing relationships
- Post diagnostic support
For further information download document: Working with the Autism Advisory Team
Download document: Barnet Parent/Carer Group flyer
SCERTS: An educational framework
The Autism Advisory Team use a wide range of high-quality interventions and approaches, within the Social Communication Emotional Regulation and Transactional Supports Framework (SCERTS). They work closely with parents/ carers, schools, other professionals and Autistic autism specialists to ensure that all approaches recognise and respect the unique strengths differences and needs of each individual pupil.
The SCERTS® Model is a research-based educational approach and multidisciplinary framework that directly addresses the core challenges faced by Autistic children and persons and related disabilities, and their families. SCERTS® focuses on building competence in Social Communication, Emotional Regulation as the highest priorities that must be addressed in any programme. The framework focusses on ensuring that staff are enabled to use the most appropriate (transactions) supports for each child.
Please see: https://scerts.com/
Support and Training for Parents and Carers
The Primary Autism Advisory Team also provide a programme of training, support and information for parents and carers, including:
BACPAC
The Barnet Autism Course for Parents and Carers (BACPAC)
This free, six-week course is delivered online, six times per year. The course cover key topics, but bespoke information is also provided based on the needs of each group. The training content was created in collaboration with Autistic autism specialists.
Sessions cover subjects including:
- Sensory experiences
- Communication, interaction, and relationships
- Understanding emotional regulation, wellbeing and reducing anxiety
- Thinking and processing.
- Strengths, and Autistic Joy.
How do I access BACPAC?
In order to access this programme you must:
- Be a resident of Barnet
- Have a child with a diagnosis of Autism
- Be a parent of a child aged 6-19 years old
To enquire about the course, or be added to the mailing list please contact [email protected]
To see upcoming BACPACs, go to our Local Offer Events page and enter the search term BACPAC
Autistic Speakers
Bels Autism Advisory Team hosts nine talks per year, created and delivered by Autistic speakers.
The next talks will be advertised from March 2024
To enquire about the course, or be added to the mailing list please contact [email protected]
Parent/Carer Group
Barnet Advisory Team for Autistic Children and Young People: Parent/Carer Group
Provide monthly meetings online for parents/carers of Autistic children and young people in Barnet.
E-mail [email protected] putting Parent Carer Group in the subject line
Resources
Autism Education Trust (AET)
Since 2007 the AET has been helping to develop good practise in supporting Autistic learners
https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk
Ordinarily Available Document
Describes the provision that should be ordinarily available in state funded education settings in Barnet.
https://www.barnetlocaloffer.org.uk/documents/2098-ordinarily-available-educational- provision.pdf
Neurodiversity
Learning about Neurodiversity at Schools Project
https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/leans
Team — Neurodiverse Connection (ndconnection.co.uk)
Are a team of nationally respected specialists in autistic experience and best practice of healthcare and housing.
https://www.ndconnection.co.uk
Low Arousal approach
Information about approaches to reduce anxiety and stress
Tigger Pritchard Autism Advocate
A wide range of resourses recommended by Tigger Pritchard Autism Advocate, Consultant and Trainer based in the Southwest of England.
Autistic | Tiggertraining/Bridging The Neurodivide | England
Children’s Integrated Therapy team (CIT)
Information about therapies and training
Barnet Children's Integrated Therapies (CIT) (whittington.nhs.uk)
Barnet Young Carers
Supporting all young carers in Barnet
Barnet Young Carers | supporting all young carers in Barnet
Supporting Siblings
ERIC
Information about Bowel and Bladder Health - ERIC is the national charity dedicated to improving children’s bowel and bladder health
Barnet Mencap
https://www.barnetmencap.org.uk/
Barnet Parent Carer Forum (BPCF)
A voluntary group of enthusiastic, committed parents and carers in the London Borough of Barnet working with the local authority to ensure that the voices of our children, young people and their families are heard
Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
National Autistic Society
Charity for Autistic people and their families, providing support, guidance and advice
Resources for Autism
Resources for Autism is a registered charity which provides practical services for Autistic children, young people and adults and for those who love and care for them:
https://resourcesforautism.org.uk/
Sendiass
Special Educational Needs and Disability Information and Support Service (SENDIASS)
About the SENDIASS service | Barnet Council
Unitas
https://www.unitasyouthzone.org/
Zones of Regulation curriculum
https://zonesofregulation.com/index.html
AET School Standards Framework
Can be used by leaders/leadership teams to support the implementation of good autism practice across a whole organisation
https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/resources/aet-schools-standards-framework
AET School Competency Framework
Can be used by staff in schools across a range of settings from mainstream to specialist as an ongoing self-reflection tool:
https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/resources/aet-schools-competency-framework