TRAINING

GIVING YOU UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICAL TOOLS

All of our training are designed to give you understanding and practical tools to help you cope, reduce stress and improve quality of life for you and the person you care for. These are provided free-of-charge to carers registered with the Carers Hub.

To help you get the most out of your learning experience, we will work with you to design the best training plan for you. This is not a full list of options and training will be provided on a rolling programme, so no need to worry if you’ve missed a start date.

All parents & family carers of a child with an autism diagnosis.

No prior autism training required

1 x 90-minute zoom session – non-interactive

No new dates – notes from this course are available to download here and in Covid-19 Resources

  • This session answers the question ‘Should I be honest about Coronavirus?’
  • Understanding the effects this may have on your child and why.
  • Exploring ways in which to explain Coronavirus using visuals and social stories
  • Developing ways to support your child during quarantine to reduce anxiety and distress.

All parents & family carers of a child who;

  • presents with symptoms of autism and
  • is awaiting official diagnosis by an NHS professional/autism diagnostic practitioner, and where the parent has been told that a diagnosis of autism is likely.

(Please note this course is not designed to diagnose autism in children but rather to offer support to those on the current diagnostic waiting list)

No prior autism training required

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

Thurs 23rd & Fri 24th April, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm

Wed 16th & Thurs 17th June, 2020 @10.30-12noon

Wed 16th & Thurs 17th June, 2021 @ 10.30-12noon

This course will support families to:

  • increase their knowledge of autism as a condition
  • begin to understand the world as understood by children and young people with autism
  • develop useful strategies for parenting children who have been referred for assessment and/or are awaiting a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Condition

All parents & family carers of an older child who has received an autism diagnosis. Ideal for those who have not received any training or who would like to attend a refresher.

No prior autism training required

6 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive. The course comprises three parts, each part has 2 sessions as follows;

  • Understanding Autism 2 x 90 minutes
  • Sensory Needs 2 x 90 minutes
  • Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour 2 x 90 minutes

Participants should aim to attend all 6 sessions and will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

These 6-part Autism Awareness courses will be running frequently. If these dates do not suit, please check in with us to find next available dates.

Wed 11th & Fri 13th Nov, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Wed 25th & Fri 27th Nov, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Wed 8th & Fri 10th Dec, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon

Contact us to be added to the waiting list for our next course.

Understanding Autism (2 x 90-minute sessions)

This seminar will support families to;

  • Develop an understanding of autism
  • Discuss experiences of getting a diagnosis
  • Identify how autism can affect families
  • Explore practical ideas for developing communication strategies
  • Clarify support that families may be entitled to and ways to access this

Sensory Needs (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • Consider sensory systems and how effective these may be
  • Examine how sensory information may be processed differently
  • Discuss how people with autism may experience different senses
  • Access support strategies

Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • examine and understand anxiety in autism
  • examine behaviours that you find difficult to understand or manage
  • use the WHAT, WHY, and HOW method of understanding behaviour
  • outline practical support to help you and your child to learn to manage anxiety and distressed behaviour

All parents & family carers of a young child who has received an autism diagnosis. Ideal for those who have not received any training or who would like to attend a refresher.

No prior autism training required

6 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive.

The course comprises three parts, each part has 2 sessions as follows;

  • Understanding Autism 2 x 90 minutes
  • Sensory Needs 2 x 90 minutes
  • Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour 2 x 90 minutes

Participants should aim to attend all 6 sessions and will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

These 6-part Autism Awareness courses will be running frequently. If these dates do not suit, please check in with us to find the next available dates.

Tues 21st & Wed 22nd April, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm
Tues 28th & Wed 29th April, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm
Tues 5th & Wed 6th May, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm

Wed 22nd & Thurs 23rd April, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Wed 29th & Thurs 30th April, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Wed 6th & Thurs 7th May, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon

Wed 21st & Fri 23rd Oct, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Tues 27th & Fri 30th Oct, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon
Wed 4th & Fri 6th Nov, 2020 @ 10.30-12 noon

Contact us to be added to the waiting list for our next course.

Understanding Autism (2 x 90-minute sessions)

This seminar will support families to;

  • Develop an understanding of autism
  • Discuss experiences of getting a diagnosis
  • Identify how autism can affect families
  • Explore practical ideas for developing communication strategies
  • Clarify support that families may be entitled to and ways to access this

Sensory Needs (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • Consider sensory systems and how effective these may be
  • Examine how sensory information may be processed differently
  • Discuss how people with autism may experience different senses
  • Access support strategies Understanding

Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • examine and understand anxiety in autism
  • examine behaviours that you find difficult to understand or manage
  • use the WHAT, WHY, and HOW method of understanding behaviour
  • outline practical support to help you and your child to learn to manage anxiety and distressed behaviour

Any parent or family carer of a child with autism who is also parenting one or more neurotypical siblings.

Must have previously completed Understanding Autism, Sensory and Behaviour.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Mon 1st & Tues 2nd June, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm

Mon 12th & Thurs 15th April, 2021 @ 10:30-12noon

This 2-part course will cover:

  • To look at the experiences of siblings
  • To explore ways to explain autism to siblings
  • To share ideas and strategies that may have a positive affect on sibling relationships
  • To be aware of and how to access sources of support for siblings

For siblings aged 8-18yrs of your autistic child

No prior autism training required.

4 x 60-minute zoom sessions – interactive

Participants will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Wed 21st April, 2021 @ 6-7pm

Wed 28th April, 2021 @ 6-7pm

Wed 5th May, 2021 @ 6-7pm

Wed 12th May, 2021 @ 6-7pm

This seminar will help siblings to:

  • develop an understanding of autism
  • discuss their experiences
  • identify how autism can affect siblings
  • explore practical ideas for developing their own strategies
  • clarify support that siblings may be entitled to and ways to access it.

Any parent or family carer of a child with autism or autism spectrum condition.

Must have previously completed Understanding Autism, Sensory and Behaviour.

1 x 90-minute zoom session – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 26th & Wed 27th Oct, 2021 @ 1-2:30pm

  • To examine the challenges involved in helping young people understand their diagnosis
  • To explore and discuss strategies to support families to explain a diagnosis to their child
  • To discuss different reactions to diagnosis and how to support with those reactions
  • To explore helpful strategies for young people who would like to share their diagnosis
  • To discuss books and resources which might assist in the process

All parents & family carers of a child who has received an autism diagnosis. Ideal for those who have not received any training or who would like to attend a refresher.

No prior autism training required

6 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive.

The course comprises three parts, each part has 2 sessions as follows;

  • Understanding Autism 2 x 90 minutes
  • Sensory Needs 2 x 90 minutes
  • Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour 2 x 90 minutes

Participants should aim to attend all 6 sessions and will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Wed 26th & Thurs 27th May, 2021 @ 6:30-8pm

Wed 2nd & Thurs 3rd June, 2021 @ 6:30-8pm

Wed 9th & Thurs 10th June, 2021 @ 6:30-8pm

Understanding Autism (2 x 90-minute sessions)

This seminar will support families to; • Develop an understanding of autism • Discuss experiences of getting a diagnosis • Identify how autism can affect families • Explore practical ideas for developing communication strategies • Clarify support that families may be entitled to and ways to access this

Sensory Needs (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • Consider sensory systems and how effective these may be
  • Examine how sensory information may be processed differently • Discuss how people with autism may experience different senses • Access support strategies

Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour (2 x 90-minute sessions)

These sessions will support families to;

  • examine and understand anxiety in autism
  • examine behaviours that you find difficult to understand or manage
  • use the WHAT, WHY, and HOW method of understanding behaviour
  • outline practical support to help you and your child to learn to manage anxiety and distressed behaviour

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who would like to learn practical tools to get results around their child’s social communication and interaction.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 24th Aug & Wed 25th Aug, 2021 @ 10:30-12noon

This 2-part training will support families to;

  • To better understand difficulties associated with Social Communication and Interaction
  • What are Social Stories
  • Social stories; their uses and benefits
  • How to write a social story
  • Introducing and using social stories
  • Practical session, opportunity to have a go at writing a Social Story to take home

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who need support around toileting.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 7th & Wed 8th Sept, 2021 @1-2:30pm

This 2-part training will support families to;

  • Consider how having autism can lead to various toileting difficulties
  • Discuss the general process of toilet training
  • Look at difficulties that children with autism may experience regarding toileting including constipation, smearing, fear of using the toilet and the sensory issues associated with this.
  • Access tips and strategies to help minimise the problems

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who need support around helping your child with issues around sleep.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 14th & Wed 15th Sep, 2021 @ 1-2:30pm

This seminar will cover:

  • How to define a sleep disorder
  • What causes sleep disorders in children with Autism
  • Understanding common difficulties which make sleep difficult
  • Exploring strategies to support sleep for children with Autism

Tips for parents around getting some sleep themselves.

All parents & family carers of an adult with autism. Ideal for those who have not received any training or who would like to attend a refresher. It may be that autism forms part of your child’s diagnosis and you would like to understand the part autism plays in your adult son or daughter’s behaviour.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive.

This course will provide a start-point for further discussion on the needs of parents & carers of adults with autism. Follow-up sessions will be designed in line with needs that become apparent following the initial 2-part course.

Participants should aim to attend both sessions and will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Wed 10th and Thurs 11th June, 2020 @ 10.30 till 12pm

Contact us to be added to the waiting list for our next course.

This course will support parents & carers to;

  • Develop an understanding of autism
  • Discuss experiences of getting a diagnosis
  • Identify how autism can affect families
  • Explore practical ideas for developing communication strategies
  • Clarify support that families may be entitled to and ways to access support

Any parent or carer of a child with autism who is nearing or has reached adolescence.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Wed 3rd & Thurs 4th June, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm

Contact us to be added to the waiting list for our next course.

This 2-part course will cover;

  • Autism in the teenage years
  • Self esteem and motivation
  • Puberty and relationships
  • Sources of support

Any parent with a child of any age, who cares for a child (or adult child) and needs support to help them transition from one action to another, one idea to another or one stage of life to another.

No prior autism training is required.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 26th & Wed 27th May, 2020 @ 10.30-12.00noon

Mon 22nd & Wed 24th March, 2021 @ 1-2:30pm

This 2-part course will cover;

  • why transitions can be difficult
  • transition in education
  • how to support transitions in general
  • independence building
  • managing expectations
  • transition into adulthood (Things to consider)
  • building skills (Money Management)
  • further education
  • supporting employment

All education staff, in particular teachers and classroom assistants, who come into contact with children with autism spectrum condition. Ideal for those who have not received any training or who would like to attend a refresher.

No prior autism training is required.

6 x 90-minute zoom sessions – non-interactive but capacity for questions to be taken and answered later.

The course comprises three parts, each part has 2 sessions as follows;

  • Understanding Autism 2 x 90 minutes
  • Sensory Needs 2 x 90 minutes
  • Understanding Anxiety & Distressed Behaviour 2 x 90 minutes

Participants should aim to attend all 6 sessions and will receive an attendance certificate as evidence of CPD on completion.

Tues 9th & Thurs 11th June @ 1.00-2.30pm
Tues 16th & Thurs 18th June @ 1.00-2.30pm
Tues 23rd & Thurs 25th June, 2020 @ 1.00-2.30pm

Contact us with any enquiries about future courses.

Introduction to Autism (2 x 90-minute sessions)

This section will support you to;

  • Develop an understanding of Autism
  • Identify how Autism can affect children in a learning environment
  • Explore practical ideas for supporting children with Autism in the classroom
  • Explore additional support available for teaching staff

Understanding Sensory difficulties for children with Autism and how these impact on learning and behaviour (2 x 90-minute sessions)

This section will support you to;

  • Achieve a better understanding of Sensory Processing difficulties
  • Explore how sensory processing can affect children with autism in a school environment
  • Explore strategies to help support their sensory needs

Understanding and managing challenging behaviour in a classroom setting

Throughout this section we will support you to:

  • Examine and understand anxiety in autism
  • Examine behaviours that you may find difficult to understand or manage
  • Be able to use the WHAT, WHY and HOW method of understanding behaviour
  • Outline practical support to help children with Autism manage anxiety and distressed behaviour

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who wish to encourage their children’s independence skills around daily tasks/situations.

No prior autism training is required.

1 x 90-minute zoom session – interactive

This is a stand-alone session, however, it is recommended that you follow this with ‘SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION & PREDICTABILITY’ then ‘MANAGING ANGER’

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Thurs 14th May, 2020 @ 10.30-12noon

Tues 17th Aug, 2021 @10:30-12noon

This session will support families to;

  • Better understand Executive Function
  • Develop strategies to support poor Executive Function in areas such as: Attention, working memory, planning and organising, forethought and impulse control.

We will talk about how poor Executive Function impacts on daily life and will examine strategies to support to their children’s abilities around planning, staying organised, sequencing, prioritising and impulse control.

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who wish to learn strategies to facilitate and promote more effective communication with their children.

No prior autism training is required.

1 x 90-minute zoom session – interactive

This is a stand-alone session, however, it is recommended that you complete ‘EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS’ first then follow this with ‘MANAGING ANGER’ (see below)

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Wed 18th Aug, 2021 @ 10:30-12noon

This session will support families to;

  • Discuss why visual communication is important
  • Explore the process for introducing visual methods of communication
  • Explore examples of different visual supports we might use including daily schedules, task sequences, timetables, motivator systems, Now and next boards and choice boards
  • Discuss a process to implement visual supports and how to adapt as child grows

Understand common do’s and don’t’s around using visual supports.

All parents & family carers of a child with autism who are struggling to understand the reasons behind their child’s anger and who wish to build their skills around recognising and responding effectively to escalating emotions.

Participants need to have attended either the 6 session Autism Awareness course or Understanding Autism and Sensory needs as individual courses.

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

This is a stand-alone session for parents who have completed basic training, however, you may get more out of it if you attend ‘EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS’ and ‘SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION & PREDICTABILITY’ beforehand.

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Tues 31st Aug & Wed 1st Sep, 2021 @1-2:30pm

This seminar will support families to;

  • Discuss why children with autism often have challenges with anger
  • Identifies a low arousal approach for support through stressful situations
  • Explore the cycle of anger and possible support strategies
  • Examine strategies for managing feelings

Family carers of an autistic child who anticipate the festive period to have its challenges as well as its joys!

No prior autism training is required.

1 x 2 hour zoom session – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Thursday 19th Nov, 2020 @ 10.30-12.30pm

Dates for 2021 will be posted closer to the time.

Christmas can be both stressful and enjoyable for families. But for young people with autism spectrum condition (ASC) it can be especially challenging. The festive period often means changes to routines, changes to the environment, and more complex demands. COVID-19 and uncertainty about festive plans can add another layer of anxiety for children and families. This interactive workshop delivered by Three Sisters Consultancy will focus on practical approaches for families to make Christmas more enjoyable and stress-free.

Parents who care for a young child or early teen who would benefit from support around forming and maintaining social connections and friendships.

Advisable to have previously attended Understanding Autism

2 x 90-minute zoom sessions – interactive

You will receive an attendance certificate on completion.

Thurs 10th & Thurs 17th @ 1-2.30pm

This 2-part course will cover;

  • forming friendships & why friendships can be difficult
  •  helping your child to maintain balanced friendships – issues around too few/too many
  • managing expections – our views of our child’s ideal social life versus their views
  • how to encourage and support healthy friendships for your child

WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF OUR TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS

“I wanted to say how helpful the toilet training seminars were. I feel much better prepared and more confident now. It worked really well on Zoom.”

“This is such a worthwhile course – I know other parents will get a lot out of it just as we did. Great that these opportunities are still available to parents during lockdown.”

“The facilitator has tremendous information and experience to impart, and that is brilliant. Great sessions. So happy to be getting this opportunity and meeting other parents and carers is really helpful.”

“My son was diagnosed with autism recently. I went on my first training with the Carers Hub shortly after. I knew nothing about autism before training, but after this training I came away with a lot more understanding and lots of the challenging behaviour made sense to me. Everything is explained so clearly. Presentation is very honest and open and done with a great sense of humour. I have been on a few recently and loved every one. They have helped me understand my boy and help him when times are difficult for him.”

“The Autism Awareness course is life changing. I’ve learned how to be more supporting around my child’s needs when it comes to diet.”

“Fantastic seminar, as always. I have gained lots of knowledge and learned ways to help my child.”

“Another fantastic course. I feel this has helped me to understand how to spot my sons rumbling and hopefully avoid a meltdown.”

“A really well-presented course; lots of material, lots of discussion and exchange of ideas and experience. These courses are always so valuable.”

“Really enjoyed this course as I know I can put some strategies in place to reduce the number of meltdowns. We all need these skills in our lives!”

“I’ve learned alot around toileting. I will be trying some things differently.”

“Once again a great seminar. Really helpful information that we can use ourselves and share with other parents.”

“I found a lot of useful information and found out reasons behind my daughter’s behaviours and actions.”