Welcome

Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter. At the time of writing, and for those of us who struggle to regulate our body temperature, we are hoping the extraordinary temperatures are peaking and that cooler weather is on its way. This month has seen our team delivering training as far afield as Singapore, and alongside some of our valued AT-Autism Associates.

The Synergy Programme

Richard Mills and Chris Atkins re-visited St. Andrew’s Autism Centre in Singapore this month, delivering a Synergy Practice Workshop, a Mentor Workshop, and a bespoke training session on de-escalation.

Synergy is not about ‘fixing’ behaviour or the autistic person, or restrictive interventions. Instead, Synergy focuses on the practitioner:

• Building self-awareness, of our emotions and judgements
• Reflecting on narratives, culture, biases and stressors
• Developing a plan for what we will do.

Aims include reducing risk and stress, building confidence, and building local expertise and capacity.

One of our SPELL Advanced trainers from Malaysia, Zahilah Zulkifli, was able to attend, and you can read more about her experiences of the programme here.

Director’s comment: Ruth Moyse

P.E. in school: Impossible to attend or a potential protective factor for attendance?
Research now evidences what many of us have known anecdotally for years: many autistic children and young people experience multiple barriers to attending P.E. in school (Waddington et al, 2025). This results in reduced participation, with some autistic children dropping out of sport in school altogether. Yet exercise is essential for physical health, as well as supporting good mental health. P.E. in school has the potential to provide a safe space, a place where people feel connected and accepted, if barriers to participation can be removed.

The Coaching Autistic People through Sport (CAPS) course addresses this by helping staff to develop a deeper understanding of autism, and adjust their own practice and approaches to make it inclusive for all. This course, designed by James Dewar-Haggart FCIMSPA and me, provides a positive and individualised approach to supporting the health and wellbeing of autistic children and young people, helping them to thrive.

Based on demand for more flexible ways of attending training, we are delivering this course online in July and September 2026. So, you can now make individual bookings and attend wherever you are in the country.

Online delivery dates
Friday 17th and Friday 24th July
Wednesday 16th and Wednesday 23rd September

Click Coaching Autistic People through Sport (CAPS) for Educators to find out more and book a place.

SPELL Framework Training

Stage 1 SPELL training course. Stage 1 is a 12-hour (6 hours x 2 days) CPD-accredited foundation course. It is suitable for all practitioners working with autistic people of all ages, across multiple settings. This SPELL practice workshop covers an understanding of autism, considers the principles and five domains of SPELL, and reflects on applications of the framework to individual practice.

Ruth Moyse recently delivered SPELL training in Ireland, alongside AT-Autism Associate Karen Melvin. This is what some delegates said about how the SPELL framework will change their practice:

“I try to always consider the child’s view, but I think I’ll be more considerate of the effort required to just show up, it also made me think more about all the plates being juggled at home and how as professionals we can forget this.”

“Include awareness and validation of children’s reported stressor, however small it might seem, as part of my practice.”

“Importance of curiosity and seeking autistic voice of own experience rather than making assumptions as to what we think may be happening based on practitioner observations.”

The next online delivery dates for SPELL Stage 1 are 11th and 25th September 2026.

For more information and to book your place on the next online course, please visit: Stage 1 SPELL framework training – AT-Autism

To discuss onsite delivery of SPELL training for your organisation, please email info@atautism.org.

The 3rd Edition of the SPELL Framework is now available to pre-order: Understanding and Responding to Autism: The SPELL framework (3rd edition) Self-study Guide

Synergy Programme

Please contact us at info@atautism.org to book training on the Synergy Programme. This practical training aims to reduce stress, improve staff skills and support wellbeing. In this the primary focus is on the narrative, the practitioner and the culture of a setting – not the ‘behaviour’ of the child or adult.

Bespoke Training

We offer bespoke training on Autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity, designed with you to meet the needs of your team, based on the specifics of your setting, and fitting with your budget and available time. These courses are always co-designed and co-delivered, with an emphasis on engagement, interaction and reflection.

Ruth Moyse recently delivered a day of training on ADHD for a team of Educational Psychologists, alongside our AT-Autism Associate, Mike Karasinski (and Founder of Neuroaffirming Dudes and Dads – NaDDs).

Feedback from delegates included:

‘It was a lovely mix of theory and practical activities- very engaging.’
‘Well delivered training with a good structure and amazing time keeping.’
‘Really enjoyed the movement breaks and different types of activities… It has got me reflecting and thinking but also affirming some of my practice.’

Click the links for information on the other services we offer:

Research and Evaluation
Autism Consultancy