The Autism Champions Project: strengthening capacity within and across schools

This paper presents a model of support to staff which was developed by an educational outreach team. The model aims to improve knowledge and resources within mainstream schools to better support pupils on the autism spectrum. Key members of staff (champions) from each school were selected and given a seven session training programme. Following this, they were mentored and supported to develop individual projects within their school. Examples of these projects included developing lunchtime clubs, creating pupil profiles and establishing a parent support group. This resulted in an increase in staff confidence and skills, a reduction in challenging behaviour and improved outcomes for students. Case study examples are given to support the findings and a second implementation phase with a new cohort of champions and a formal evaluation is planned.