The Autism Outreach Team, aims to

• Lead the strategic development, with the LA (through the Sunderland Autism Steering
Group), of the provision for ASD in the city using the Accessibility Strategy

• Work in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies i.e. Social Services, City
Health Services, the Carers Assoc. delivering ASD provision

• Deliver early intervention strategies with particular emphasis on the early years eg.
(NAS) EarlyBird & EarlyBird plus intervention programmes

• Develop and deliver a joint assessment framework and diagnosis for children with ASD throughout the LA

• Brokerage services to support training strategies for school staff, parents and other
professionals in meeting the needs of children with ASD

• Develop a system for management and tracking pupil data to monitor the
achievements of pupils with Autism/ASD

• Continue to develop and maintain the AOS database in order to track and predict
future needs

•Publish appropriate strategies, particularly curricula strategies, to improve the
attainment of pupils with ASD

• Benchmark the achievements of pupils and schools in the City

• Lead and manage the co-ordination and development of training offered by the LA in
ASD

• Establish and maintain links with national and local statutory education agencies and
voluntary/charity autistic organisations to ensure the latest and best practice is
deployed and disseminated

• Continue to Manage the Autism Outreach Service including:
o In-service training
o Therapeutic placements
o Dual placement
o In reach
o Varying levels of support to mainstream schools from:- Primary and Secondary
specialist support teacher, Specialist nursery nurse, Specialist Educational
Psychologist, Senior Specialist Speech and Language therapist, Specialist teacher
(BIT), Link social worker
o Intervention Programmes e.g. Webster Stratton

 

The AOT supports Schools, Pupils and Families via..

Direct Contact
• Assessment of pupils needs
• Involvement in the diagnostic process
• Advice on strategies
• Individual pupil targets
• Code of Practice Reviews
• Home visits
• Consultation with parents/carers
• Consultation with staff in schools
• Consultation with multi agency professionals
• Group work
• Transition work

 

Additional AOT Activities

• Playgroup
• Specialist SALT communication group
• Parent Support groups
• Specialist language course-accredited course
• PACT
• Facilitating Inclusion in the North East (FINE)
• Members of the AOT attend termly meetings of ASD regional FINE group.
Development work has included regional sharing of best practice for
o Care Pathways
o Core Competencies in ASD
o Multi agency working
o The FINE ASD group has arranged a regional conference on
Core Competencies in ASD
• Regional groups also exist in Specialist Advisory Teachers and for Specialist Speech
and Language Therapists and members of the AOT have attended these throughout
the year
• Webster Stratton, Dinosaur School group work
• Supervision by SALT and EP of Therapists and EPs in training
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy group work