Catherine (Katy)

How I teach Autistic Children

I was Head of an outstanding specialist nursery for 10 years, based in South West London. The nursery was a resource provision for children with social communication difficulties and/or autism. As Head of the nursery I lead on all aspects of the curriculum ensuring that it was visual, sensory, creative and embedded opportunities for communication, social, emotional and physical development. There was also a focus on developing children’s independence/self-help skills including: feeding, toileting and dressing.

I led a multi-disciplinary team of staff including: teachers, support staff, speech and language and occupational therapists. I worked alongside other professionals throughout the EHCP process including Educational Psychologists, paediatricians and specialist nurses.

My approach is holistic and follows the SCERTS and AutPlay approach – focusing on supporting 3 key areas: Emotional Regulation, Communication and Social Skills. For the last 3 years I have been working as a SEN tutor and AutPlay Therapist working with children and young people from 4 – 18 years of age. I create individualised home school/EOTAS programmes, including the child’s interests where possible. I ensure that I provide an accessible, creative and challenging curriculum. I have high aspirations for all my learners and have achieved excellent results on an academic level whilst also improving self-confidence, emotional regulation and social skills.

How I teach children and young people with Autism in the Early Years

I worked exclusively with the under 5’s for 13 years. I am experienced in offering a variety of play-based interventions that support communication, language and social development. I focus on developing fundamental skills needed for learning including: listening and attention (joint and shared), interaction and imitation skills.

I achieve this through specialist sessions, that I developed in conjunction with highly specialist speech and lanuage and occupational therapists. Sessions are based on promoting connection and interaction through: music, rhymes and songs and people games. Social skills such as: waiting, taking turns and sharing are also practised. Attention and listening skills are developed through individual and small group Attention Autism sessions.

How I use Play Therapy and AutPlay Therapy

I have experience in supporting children with a variety of emotional and behavioural issues including: trauma, loss/bereavement, anger and anxiety. 3 years ago, I qualified and now specialise in AutPlay Therapy, a directive approach which supports neurodivergent children and combines play therapy and family therapy.

Parents are involved throughout the process, participating in some or all sessions with the child. AutPlay therapy focuses on 3 core areas: communication, social skills and emotional regulation. I have worked with children from 5 to 12 years old, supporting their mental health by talking about neurodiversity, identifying triggers (often at school,) exploring feelings and how to manage difficult situations. I also support parents and advise/liaise with schools as necessary.

How I support children and young people with Speech and Language difficulties

I have over 15 years experience supporting children wtih speech and language difficulties. In my role as Head of a specialist nursery I worked alongside a highly specialist speech and language therapist which was invaluable, in gaining knowledge and hands on experience. I have also completed training in PECs, Intensive Interaction and Makaton. I am a qualified Early Years Autism Education Trust (AET) and an Elklan 0 -3’s Speech and Language practicioner. I have a thorough knowledge of a child’s developmental milestones and how progress can be best supported in the home/school environment.

How I support children with sensory processing difficulties

In my role as Head of a specialist nursery I worked alongside a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist who was qualified in Sensory Integration. I gained invaluable knowledge and hands on experience working alongside her. All of the children at my nursery received an occupational therapy/sensory integration assessment as part of their EHCP assessment. I am experienced in supporting children’s sensory sensitivities and can offer parents basic/generic advice, prior to their child getting an OT assessment.