Founded in USA
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An ATTUNED Understanding of Autism
Our comprehensive Autism CPD Module provides professionals with essential knowledge and skills for supporting autistic individuals with respect and understanding.
This evidence-based program explores autism across multiple dimensions – from theoretical frameworks and neurobiological foundations to practical support strategies.
You’ll gain nuanced insight into the diverse presentations of autism, sensory and communication differences, emotional processing, and cognitive styles. Using our neuro-affirming ATTUNED approach, this course moves beyond outdated pathologising models toward a strengths-based understanding that honours autistic ways of being.
Whether you’re an educator, healthcare professional, or coach, this module will enhance your ability to create supportive environments, foster effective communication, and promote wellbeing for autistic individuals across the lifespan.
Module Content
Module One: Introduction to Autism
Foundation Knowledge for Supporting Autistic Individuals
Begin your journey to autism understanding with this foundation module. Designed for professionals seeking to enhance their practice, this module explores the historical context, language considerations, and life impact of autism.
- Autism prevalence and variation across global populations
- The origins of autism: genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and biochemical factors
- Historical timeline and evolution of autism understanding
- Appropriate terminology and language (including identity-first language)
- The impact of stigma and the problem with functioning labels
- The concept of positive neurodivergent identity
- How autism impacts life chances and outcomes
Understanding the theoretical frameworks of autism provides deeper insight into autistic experiences and processing. This knowledge is essential for developing effective support strategies that work with, rather than against, natural autistic processing.
Module Two: Main Theories of Autism
Understanding Autistic Processing
Explore the key theoretical frameworks that help explain autistic thinking and processing. This module delves into the cognitive theories that provide insight into the autistic experience and introduces the neurodiversity paradigm.
- Autism prevalence and variation across global populations
- The origins of autism: genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and biochemical factors
- Historical timeline and evolution of autism understanding
- Appropriate terminology and language (including identity-first language)
- The impact of stigma and the problem with functioning labels
- The concept of positive neurodivergent identity
- How autism impacts life chances and outcomes
Understanding the theoretical frameworks of autism provides deeper insight into autistic experiences and processing. This knowledge is essential for developing effective support strategies that work with, rather than against, natural autistic processing.
Module Three: Core Characteristics of Autism
Beyond Stereotypes: The Real Spectrum of Autism
Develop a nuanced understanding of how autism actually presents across different individuals. This module explores the varied manifestations of autism and addresses important considerations in diagnosis and identification.
- The concept of autism as a spectrum and the "spiky profile"
- Diagnostic criteria: from the triad to the dyad of impairment
- Diagnostic options and processes (screening, assessment, ADOS, DISCO)
- The benefits of diagnosis, including self-diagnosis
Issues with DSM criteria for adult presentation - Gender differences in autism presentation
- Intersectionality: how autism interacts with gender, race, and mental health
- AuDHD (Autism with ADHD) and other co-occurring conditions
- The concept of masking and its relationship to perception and rejection sensitivity
- The risks and impacts of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis
Many autistic individuals go unrecognised due to limited understanding of how autism actually presents. This module will enhance your ability to recognise autism in its various forms, leading to better outcomes for those you support.
Module Four: Behavioural Differences in Autism
Understanding Autistic Behaviours and Their Functions
Explore the behavioural differences commonly associated with autism and gain insight into their underlying purposes and impacts. This module provides a compassionate framework for understanding behaviours that may be misinterpreted.
- The importance of routine and predictability
- The purpose and function of rituals
- Rigidity of thought and its relationship to certainty
- Autistic inertia and its impact on functioning
- The concept of masking and its costs
- Restraint collapse and its implications
Behavioural differences in autism are often misunderstood or pathologised. This module will help you recognise the adaptive functions of these behaviours and develop supportive approaches that respect autistic differences rather than trying to eliminate them.
Module Five: Cognitive Differences in Autism
Inside the Autistic Mind
Delve into the cognitive differences that characterise autism. This module explores how autistic individuals perceive, process, and respond to the world in ways that may differ from neurotypical patterns.
- Monotropic attention and special interests
- Theory of mind differences and their relationship to anxiety and uncertainty
- Empathy and the double empathy problem
- Demand avoidance and its presentations (PDA/ODD)
- Justice sensitivity and its impact on perceptions of fairness and equity
- Adherence to rules and systems
- Black and white thinking patterns
- Differences in perception
- Anxiety patterns in autism
- Attention to detail and its advantages
Understanding cognitive differences in autism is essential for effective communication and support. This module will transform how you interpret autistic behaviours and thought patterns, leading to more productive interactions and support strategies.
Module Six: Communication Differences in Autism
Beyond Words: Understanding Autistic Communication
Explore the unique aspects of autistic communication and develop strategies for effective interaction. This module focuses on both verbal and non-verbal communication differences in autism.
- Literal interpretation of language
- The value of direct communication
- Challenges with declarative and inferred language
- Echolalia and its communicative functions
- Differences in understanding and expressing humour
- Variations in the prosody of speech
- The challenges and misconceptions around eye contact
- Difficulties with metaphors, sarcasm, and jokes
- The importance of precise language use
Communication differences are central to autism but often misunderstood. This module will enhance your ability to communicate effectively with autistic individuals and to support their communication needs in various settings.
Module Seven: Emotional Differences in Autism
The Emotional Experience of Autism
Gain insight into the emotional world of autistic individuals and the unique aspects of autistic emotional processing. This module explores how differences in emotional awareness and regulation impact wellbeing.
- The role of interoception in emotional awareness
- Alexithymia and its impact on identifying emotions
- Emotional reactivity patterns
- Rejection sensitivity and its effects
- The impact of trauma on autistic emotional processing
- How emotional differences can lead to dysregulation
- Strategies for supporting emotional understanding and regulation
Emotional differences in autism are often overlooked or misinterpreted. This module will help you recognise and support the emotional needs of autistic individuals, leading to better wellbeing outcomes and more effective interventions.
Module Eight: The Neuroscience of
Autism
The Autistic Brain: Research and Understanding
Explore the cutting-edge neuroscience of autism. This module delves into what we know about the neurobiological foundations of autism while considering the ethics and motivations behind autism research.
- The methods and motivations of autism research
- Ethical considerations in autism research
- Brain regions implicated in autism
- Brain networks and myelination differences
- Mirror neuron theories
- Synaptogenesis and pruning differences
- Atypical patterns of neural communication
- Processing challenges, particularly with dynamic information
- Local and global connection patterns
- Potential biomarkers, including vasopressin
- The GABA-GLUTAMATE system and sensory differences
- The role of the cerebellum in emotion, prediction, and social behaviour
- The emerging research on the microbiome
Understanding the neurobiological basis of autism helps dispel myths and provides a scientific foundation for understanding autistic differences. This knowledge informs better approaches to support and highlights the physiological reality of autism.
Module Nine: "Treatment" and Support Approaches
Beyond ‘Fixing’: Ethical and Effective Support for Autistic Individuals
Examine the history and current landscape of autism interventions with a critical and ethical lens. This module explores various approaches to supporting autistic individuals while emphasising neuro-affirming practices.
- The historical methods and motivations for 'treating' autism
- Critical analysis of traditional treatments, including ABA
- Emerging approaches, including electrical and cerebellar circuit interventions
- Medication options and considerations
- Evidence-based talking therapies
- Recognising ineffective "snake oil" treatments
- Co-occurring conditions and the role of trauma
- The concept and practice of neuro-affirming therapy and coaching
- Sensory modulation approaches
- The importance of understanding and advocacy
The history of autism intervention contains concerning practices, and even today, many approaches aim to normalise rather than support. This module will equip you with the knowledge to evaluate interventions critically and to support autistic individuals in ways that respect their neurology and enhance their wellbeing.
Beyond Stereotypes
Understand the true diversity of autistic presentation across the lifespan
Neuroscience Foundations
Learn the biological underpinnings of autism for deeper understanding
Communication Bridge
Develop skills to effectively communicate across neurological differences
Sensory Intelligence
Understand sensory processing differences and their impact on daily functioning
Cognitive Frameworks
Explore key theories that explain autistic thinking and information processing
Emotional Understanding
Gain insight into autistic emotional experiences and regulation differences
Ethical Support Approaches
Critically examine interventions through a neuro-affirming, ethical lens
Part of Certification Pathway
Can be taken as a standalone CPD module or as part of the full Certificate in Neurodiversity Coaching
Your Trainers
Our two trainers have over 25 years of experience with the neurodivergent community. Both are neurodivergent themselves and have neurodivergent families.
Emma Whymark
Changing Behaviour
Emma is an experienced neurodiversity specialist with 25 years of educational experience as a SEND teacher and adviser. As a therapist, coach, and education consultant, she combines her professional background with personal insight as both a parent of neurodivergent adults and someone with ADHD. Together with Lisa, she co-developed the ATTUNED approach to help neurodivergent individuals better understand themselves and achieve their unique goals.
Lisa Poole
Perspective Coaching
Lisa is a neurodiversity coach and co-developer of the ATTUNED approach. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience as part of a neurodivergent family, she founded Perspective Coaching in 2021 to support neurodivergent children, teens, and adults. Her practice focuses on neuro-affirming coaching methods that help individuals understand and address their unique challenges while embracing their authentic selves.
Module Structure
Delivered over 4 sessions – here’s how your learning is structured
Opening New Office
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Client Satisfaction
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Improved Ourselves
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