Training Offer for Schools and Settings

CAT work with schools to build their knowledge, understanding, and skills to support autistic children and young people or children with significant social communication differences. Training packages such as Autism Education Trust Training are offered to schools and settings in Birmingham as well as a school partnership plan linked to the Autism Education Trust autism standards.

Choose from the following options to find out more about how CAT works with schools and settings to support children and young people with autism and social communication differences.

What’s on Offer for Settings?

  • identify issues early and provide the tailored advice and strategies to aid inclusion
  • develop and embed good autism practice,
  • strategies to enhance teaching and learning
  • promote understanding of learner’s complex communication and interaction needs, including autism, and distressed behaviour,
  • professional development to build on awareness and knowledge of good autism practice and inclusive practice
  • a wide range of training to meet the needs of educational professionals including the Autism Education Trust programme and CAT additional training modules
  • access for parent carers to our parent awareness course and a range of workshop and drop in sessions

The Communication and Autism Team recognise that parent carers are fundamental to enabling children and young people to reach their full potential. CAT has always valued its relationship with families and actively seeks their participation and engagement by ensuring that a thread of parental voice runs throughout the work of this team. Parental resilience and empowerment is key to promoting success and independence for their children and young people. We also acknowledge the pressures and anxieties some parent carers may face at times in parenting someone on the autism spectrum.

Parents and carers are the experts on their child or young person and offer great insight into their strengths and differences. We know that working in collaboration is essential to listen to the ‘voice of the family’ and develop our practice accordingly.

Training Courses

AET and CAT training courses aim to enable staff in educational settings to effectively include autistic children and young people, and children and young people with significant social communication differences. There are a range of courses available for leaders and staff to build knowledge and skills and to learn strategies to enable their pupils to achieve the best outcomes.

CAT Training Courses

Forms

Registration of young people with CAT must come only from the Birmingham maintained mainstream setting which they are attending. The CAT Background Information Form 2024 and parental consent form must be completed in full and emailed to the setting’s allocated CAT worker. If there is a formal diagnosis or one pending, proof must also be attached to the form.