Course summary

The 2015 Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE/DoH) specifies that all teachers must be seen as teachers of pupils with SEN and take responsibility for the progress of all learners in their class. With an estimated 1.6 per cent of the population diagnosed with autism and an increased focus on inclusion, this course allows you to develop your knowledge and understanding of pupils with autism. This is a new and innovative postgraduate course that will enable you to study and research current, relevant issues concerning autism spectrum conditions and to develop knowledge of inclusive pedagogy and practice. It is suitable for teachers and allied professionals working within educational settings who wish to deepen and extend their knowledge of autism and inclusion. This course will help you to develop the skills to reflect critically on your own practice and current research. It will enable you to contribute to school development and strategic vision concerning autism. This course is relevant to both mainstream and specialist settings. The aim is to help teachers and other professionals respond effectively to the needs of pupils with autism. The two modules you will study cover theories of inclusion, how to make inclusion work for pupils with autism, current research into causes of autism, how children and young people with autism experience the world, and the impact of this on education. You will also explore a range of strategies to support learning and consider best practice. Throughout the course, you will be helped to develop a critical understanding of theory alongside the practical knowledge you will gain. You will be encouraged to make links between theory and your own practice, and become a reflective practitioner who is able to think proactively and strategically about provision for pupils with special and additional learning needs.