About Me

I'd like to post a little bit about my background and understanding and experience of Autism.

I started teaching in the early 1990s as a History teacher in a secondary school in the north of England.  As well as a love for my subject I also developed my career in pastoral work as I was very interested in the education of the whole child, not just how academic progress was made.  I became Head of Year and Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator within 5 years.  Shortly afterwards, the school became the Local Authority's choice for its new Autism Base and I was fascinated at the learning and behaviour styles of the new pupils who came into my care.

This led to me gaining a post in a Specialist Autism Base within an MLD school on the south coast where my knowledge of working with pupils with Autism was greatly enhanced.  From here I moved to leading an Autism Provision in a mainstream secondary school in the north of England and then onto a post as a Specialist Advisory Teacher in a large authority in Yorkshire.  I have been fortunate to benefit from a huge amount of professional training in Autism during the past decade, including a postgraduate qualification from the University of Birmingham.

Over the years I have gained two main assets that can benefit your child:-

1. A philosophy that is totally child-centred.  I believe in the art of the possible, of starting from where the child is and working with those strengths and abilities in order to address areas we wish to improve.  I do not see Autism as a `disability', but as a way of looking at and experiencing the world that is different to most people.  Therefore I celebrate each unique individual and seek to help them adapt their perspective to understanding a complex and challenging world.

2.  A range of evidence-based techniques and strategies that I have seen prove successful with a large number of young people over a number of years.  These are the products which I am offering through my service.  However I do not come and merely deliver a programme; I tailor it to the needs of the individual and seek to provide firm and measureable outcomes by the end of each period of work.

Briefly the programmes I offer are:-

Five point scales
Social Scripts
Lego(R) Therapy
Understanding Autism
Visual Schedules
Understanding demand avoidance in autism

In addition I am available for consultation on a range of issues relating to your child's autism including demand avoidance, planning for changes, toileting, evening and bedtime routines and managing family conflict.

I shall be posting up a little bit about each intervention over the coming days.

John
johnbroom@aol.com