We know that parenting ALL children and young people requires different knowledge and we have to change our approach at different stages of their development and it is exactly the same for autistic young people.
We also know that early understanding is key in improving outcomes for all young people, and therefore expect that parents/carers will want to undertake these training sessions to be fully equipped for supporting their children and young people as soon as they need.
Our training programme has been redeveloped to have a clear process based on evaluations and through our Training Consultation with families in early 2020, to allow the best outcomes for all of our delegates.
Our training is currently available online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This takes place via Zoom, and whilst we encourage as much discussion as possible within our sessions, parents/carers can switch off cameras and input as much or as little as they are comfortable with.
Parents/carers and families should access training at a time that is right for them – and this might be different for everyone. You might want to do it while your child is awaiting assessment or you may prefer to wait until you have diagnosis confirmed.
Parents/carers should reinvest in their training at each stage of childhood for their young person, Early Year, Primary and Secondary/Young Adulthood.
This is because for all parents/carers we need to change and adapt our approaches to parenting for all of our children as they grow, our focus and parenting challenges change and with that we need to ensure we are as equipped as possible to deal with these changes.
It may have been some years since parents/carers have attended training and the demands on their parenting will have changed over this time.
We deliver our programmes using a Theory- Practice-Evaluate model.
By reinvesting in training, parents/carers will be bringing new questions and needs for information and will update their strategies and responses to be appropriate to the age and stage of their child or young person.
Finally, we ask that parent/carers invest in the training programme as a preventative tool as opposed to reacting to sudden changes in their family home. With early planning key, this allows time to go through all stages of the programme and be prepared for any future challenges.
We know through the families who have attended training regularly, that they are less likely to require intensive Family Support which not only alleviates the pressure on our services but also gives parents/carers confidence, skills and knowledge to be able to implement supports and strategies for their child as soon as they are required.
We ask that all parents/carers attend our Practical Understanding of Autism programme before advancing through other training offered.
This also includes parents/carers who have been registered for some time but have not attended training within the previous 18 months, to re-familiarise themselves with our training approach.
This is for two reasons:
This approach will make the learning easier to understand and implement to support children and young people.
As with all our services, if the training requirements put barriers in place for parent/carers accessing this, we will work with each individual family to ensure that we can support in a way that is right for each individual.
Contact us via the contact form or email training@perthautismsupport.org.uk and we will be happy to chat through options for learning with you.