Connecting Worlds autism training was founded in November 2018. For a year I managed my time between Redcar and Cleveland Local Authority as part of a specialist disabilities team and establishing my private business. As Connecting Worlds autism training grew, I found it impossible to give enough of myself to the business. In November 2019, after 15 years, I resigned my position with the local authority to concentrate full time on my business. Connecting Worlds autism training is growing and I am loving every minute!
I provide a professional, unique approach to training through face to face courses and a 1:1 consultancy service. Training can be delivered to ANY group of between 5 – 20 people who want to understand more about autism.
You arrange the venue and I provide all the training materials. All learners will receive a signed Certificate of Attendance which will be posted out to the organiser following the course.
It is quite staggering to know that around 700,000 people have autism in the UK. If you include their families in this, autism affects 2.8 million people! Autism has long term effects which can include social isolation, chronic sleep problems, mental health problems, relationship difficulties, familial discord and breakdown.
I can provide a valuable understanding of the disorder and offer strategies and tools to support individuals to groups of:
Parents/carers♦Businesses♦Private and voluntary organistations♦Care companies♦Educational establishments♦Social care♦Health services♦Other interested parties
By outsourcing autism training services to Connecting Worlds autism training, businesses can continue to focus on core activities without having to concern yourself with the burden of trying to track down specialist training.
Why is training urgently needed?
Training is not a cost but an investment that helps ensure the future of people with autism and those who support them.
HEALTH
‘The training clinicians get about autism is inadequate or non-existent. It still tends to foster a paternalistic attitude, especially amongst consultant psychiatrists and psychologists and mental health clinicians’………. ‘It would be useful to have more experts by experience on different bits of the Autism strategy, like the health and wellbeing work stream. Don’t just rely on the usual suspects (such as National Autistic Society) or people provided by services – also connect to people who are more independent.’ ref 1
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) recently welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation focussing on the training of health and care professionals to better support people living with learning disability and autism. Highlighting the important need for all health and care professionals to be given regular, ongoing learning disability and autism training. ref 2
“The Centre for Research in Autism and Education at University College London recently teamed up with the Royal College of General Practitioners to find out how much general practitioners know about autism, whether they had any autism training and what their experiences were of working with their autistic patients. Shockingly, the results showed that, of the 304 general practitioners surveyed, 39 percent had not received any autism training. What’s more, of the ones who had received autism training, almost 40 percent didn’t find it very useful. It is not surprising, then, that general practitioners also reported having little confidence in caring for their autistic patients. Given that autism affects one in 100 people — more than 700,000 people in the United Kingdom — these are deeply troubling findings.” ref 3
Education
“A NASUWT survey revealed six in ten teachers said they hadn’t been given the training required to teach autistic children.” ref 4
“More than 1 in 100 children are on the autism spectrum. So every teacher will have autistic students in their classes at some point in their careers and they deserve to be given the understanding and skills they need to teach autistic children effectively.” ref 5
I am passionate about autism and are committed to raising awareness and improving understanding of the disorder. I endeavour to pass on skills and knowledge in the hope that it can make the lives of people with autism a little easier, a lot richer and happier.