Jersey’s Autism Education Trust’s partner ‘hub’ in Jersey, led by the Autism and Social Communication Inclusion Team (ASCIT), has won an award in recognition of the training they deliver to staff in educational settings to help them better support children and young people with Autism.
The ASCIT provides specialist advice to teaching and support staff in schools to help them work more effectively with children and young people who have received an Autism diagnosis, or who have social communication differences.
Since 2021, the Jersey AET trainers, which also includes staff from the Early Years Inclusion Team, two Island primary schools and Highlands College, have delivered Autism Education Trust training to professionals in early years, secondary schools and colleges.
Modules include, ‘Making Sense of Autism’ – an awareness raising module; ‘Good Autism Practice’ for those practitioners working more directly with pupils, and a module that introduces the Progression Framework, a tool that helps practitioners identify learning priorities and set key learning intentions.
The Jersey AET partner hub received the award in recognition of its successful delivery of AET training. Out of the 100 AET hubs across the UK, Jersey was one of the top five, based on positive feedback.
The £8,000 prize money will be reinvested to provide more support for training. The ASCIT team will work with the Autism Education Trust to roll out the ‘Making Sense of Autism’ module to parents and carers. This will help develop their understanding of Autism, and also show how the AET professional development programme benefits practitioners.
Michele Brignall, ASCIT Team Lead and Lead AET Trainer for Jersey, said: “The award is about measuring the impact we have through the training we deliver, so all of us are very proud that this has been recognised by the Autism Education Trust.
“The work we do with schools and – thanks to this award money – with parents, is helping build a community of well-informed practitioners who work with autistic children and young people. By focusing on understanding, and identifying specific areas for progress, we can work together to make their experience of education a really positive one.”
Minister for Children and Education, Deputy Inna Gardiner, said: “I’d like to offer a big congratulations to Michele and her team. Since the team was set up in 2015, they have always provided valuable expertise, advice and support to teaching and school staff.
“It’s vital that children and young people with autism have the support and understanding they need to thrive in mainstream school. While ASCIT have always supported individual staff development, this new training means that the team will be able to provide more support to parents as well.”
