National Autism Implementation Team

Professional Learning

In line with the NAIT Professional Learning Framework below, NAIT have developed national autism training resources for primary schools in Scotland. The resources below can support professional learning for staff working in schools.

NAIT Professional Learning Framework 2020

GTCS Meeting the Needs of Autistic Learners: A professional guide for teachers

Primary whole school training

NAIT Key Messages for Primary Schools

A4 Poster: Key Messages for Staff working in and with Primary Schools

NAIT Thinking Styles Framework 2024

NAIT Thinking Styles Summary

NAIT Anxiety Related Absence Guidance 2020

NAIT Movement Breaks Guidance for Schools

NAIT Safe Space Guidance for Schools 2020

NAIT Guide to Autistic Masking 2022

NAIT and ATLAS Autism: Masking Animation

NAIT Equality Act Guidance 2019

NAIT Planning Meetings Guidance 2019

NAIT Supporting Autistic Learners with Bereavement Guidance 2022

NAIT Guidance An autism lens on the Six Principles of Nurture

Secondary whole school training

NAIT Anxiety Related Absence Guidance 2020

NAIT Safe Space Guidance for Schools 2020

NAIT Guide to Autistic Masking 2022

NAIT and ATLAS Autism: Masking Animation

NAIT Equality Act Guidance 2019

NAIT Autism Friendly Planning Meetings Guidance 2019

NAIT Supporting Autistic Learners with Bereavement Guidance 2022

NAIT Guidance An autism lens on the Six Principles of Nurture

Read our NAIT article ‘An Autism Lens on Nurture’ in GTCS ‘Teaching Scotland’ magazine: Issue 87, Page 19-21

https://www.gtcs.org.uk/News/teaching-scotland/teaching-scotland-magazine.aspx

See also the NAIT article about support for autistic learners in secondary schools, ‘Let’s Not Just See How it Goes!’ in GTCS Magazine: Issue 81, Page 18

teaching-scotland-issue-81.pdf 

P1 Staff Training

NAIT Safe Space Guidance for Schools 2020

NAIT Equality Act Guidance 2019

Initial Teacher Education

Read our NAIT article ‘Supporting Student Teachers with Autistic Learners’ in GTCS ‘Teaching Scotland’ magazine: Issue 89, Page 22-23

http://gtcsnew.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/teaching-scotland/teaching-scotland-issue-89-august-2021.pdf 

Playboxes: A Focussed Time to Play

NAIT, together with partners from City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian and Education Scotland, has developed a suite of professional learning materials to support practitioners in Scotland to implement the Playboxes Method. 

In order to use Playboxes, practitioners are required to undertake the professional learning below.

The Pre-recorded Playboxes Professional Learning session is available on the Education Scotland Autism Toolbox website

This NAIT Playboxes Implementation Guide is designed to support practitioners who have engaged with the professional learning, to implement the method.

NAIT Playboxes Implementation Guide 2024

The Playboxes Record Sheet is also available as a Fillable PDF Form:

NAIT Playboxes Record Sheet Fillable Form 2024

Information about the full suite of Playboxes Professional Learning can be found on the Education Scotland Playboxes: A Focussed Time to Play webpage.

We would like to acknowledge and give thanks to the Marwick family for giving us permission to continue the legacy of the late Dr Helen Marwick, who developed the Playboxes Method. 

Parent Supports

Parent supports and parent mediated interventions are recommended in autism evidence based guidelines. Support can be:

• Online
• Face to face
• Individual / family
• Group parent education and training (autism specific)

The resources below may be useful for education and health partners considering their local provision to support parents.

NAIT Parent Support Map – The Edinburgh Model 2019

NAIT Planning Meetings Guidance 2019

http://www.hanen.org/home.aspx

https://www.scottishautism.org/services-support/support-families/online-support-right-click

Family Follow Up Meetings – a model for for post diagnostic support in child services 2018

Parent focused interventions for older children or adults with ASD and parent wellbeing outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 68, 101450. Rutherford, M., Singh-Roy, A., Rush, R., McCartney, D., O’Hare, A., & Forsyth, K. (2019). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946719301382

Information to share with parents:

NAIT Guide to Autistic Masking for Parents and Carers

NAIT and Enquire: Talking to Your Child’s School About Autistic Masking

NAIT and Enquire: Talking to Your Child’s School About Anxiety Related Absence 

NAIT Staying at Home Safe Space Guidance

NAIT Guidance for Movement Breaks at Home

NAIT Supporting Language Partners with Social Communication at Home

NAIT Eating and Drinking Guidance

NAIT Key Messages for Staying at Home – Social Partners

Key Messages for Staying at Home Social Partners Poster

NAIT Key Messages for Staying at Home – Language and Conversation Partners

Key Messages for Staying at Home Language and Conversational Partners Poster

CIRCLE Resources

Good inclusive practice forms the foundation for children and young people with additional support needs to be included and involved in school. Regardless of the level of support an individual requires at any time, we need to get the basics right. CIRCLE encourages us to think about the environment, structures and routines and motivation before we focus on skills. The CIRCLE resources were developed by a research team with teachers, for teachers. They are free to download on the link below.

CIRCLE Website

NAIT CIRCLE Implementation Guidance

NAIT CIRCLE Implementation Guidance 2021

CIRCLE Train the Trainer Materials

NAIT have created a suite of resources to support CIRCLE implementation in Early Years, Primary and Secondary.

First watch CIRCLE ‘Train the Trainer’ Introduction – a pre-recorded presentation for local leads from health and education and for professionals who will deliver CIRCLE Professional Learning in a local area.

A five minute film by Dr Donald Maciver, Senior Researcher in the CIRCLE Team at Queen Margaret University provides an overview of the development and use of the CIRCLE resources. 

Early Years

Professionals from Health and Education who plan to deliver CIRCLE Professional Learning in EARLY YEARS should also watch CIRCLE ‘Train the Trainer’ Up Up and Away

and download this Resource: CIRCLE Up Up and Away Train the Trainer Resource 

to support delivery of this CIRCLE Up Up and Away Professional Learning session: CIRCLE Professional Learning Up Up and Away

Primary

Professionals from Health and Education who plan to deliver CIRCLE Professional Learning in PRIMARY should also watch CIRCLE ‘Train the Trainer’ Primary

and download this Resource: CIRCLE Primary Train the Trainer Resource

to support delivery of this CIRCLE Primary Professional Learning session: CIRCLE Professional Learning Primary

Secondary

Professionals from Health and Education who plan to deliver CIRCLE Professional Learning in SECONDARY should also watch CIRCLE ‘Train the Trainer’ Secondary

and download this Resource: CIRCLE Secondary Train the Trainer Resource

to support delivery of this CIRCLE Secondary Professional Learning session: CIRCLE Professional Learning Secondary

Education Scotland Online CIRCLE Inclusive Practice Modules

Education Scotland created badged online modules of the Primary and Secondary CIRCLE Resources. These can be found here: https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=359

Other CIRCLE Resources  

Overview of CIRCLE Resources 2021

Visual Support Project (VSP)

VSP School and Early Years

The Visual Support Project is a collaboration between health and education partners which provides a consistent whole school inclusive visual supports resource, including:

• whole school training programme
• accreditation guidance
• symbol resources

UK local authorities can request these resources, without cost. See flier below for details.

VSP Out of Authority Flier

Home VSP

Visual supports at home and in the community for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review. Autism, 1362361319871756. Rutherford, M., Baxter, J., Grayson, Z., Johnston, L., & O’Hare, A. (2019).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1362361319871756

Downloadable visual timetable ‘How to Guides’ for school and home:

12. Home Visual Support Guide to using Now Next boards with symbols

14. Home Visual Support Guide to using visual timetables with symbols

Downloadable visual supports ‘How to Guides’ to share with parents:

Home Visual Support Guides for Social Partners

Home Visual Support Guides for Language Partners

Guides to Using Home Visual Supports – The Collection for all Stages March 2020

15. Home Visual Support Guide Using Weekly or Monthly Timetables with Symbols or Photos

9. Home Visual Support Guide Using Timers

25. Home Visual Support Guide Using Shopping Lists with Symbols

Visual supports for daily routines:

Home VSP Visual Timetable

Home VSP Bedtime Routine Visual Supports

Home VSP Dressing Visual Supports

Home VSP Handwashing Visual Supports

Toothbrushing Sequence Strip

Visual supports for home and community:

Home VSP Songbook

Visual Shopping List

Sleeps Until Chart

Downloadable visual supports for home, school and the community:

Black Box Strip Timetable

Check Your Timetable Cards

Lower Primary Individual Visual Timetable

Upper Primary Individual Visual Timetable

Big Deal, Little Deal

OK Not OK Board

Never Mind, Help and Stop Cards

Personal Space Visual

Month Timetable and Symbols

Month Calendar Example

Lower Primary Home to School Diary

Lower Primary School to Home Diary

Now

Next

Now Next (Small)

Now Next (Large)

Now Next Then

Now Next Photo and Symbols Template

Finished Pocket

Choose Board 2 Options

Choose Board 4 Options

Volume Control Chart

Voice Control Symbols

Home to Nursery Communication Diary

Nursery to Home Communication Diary

Lower Primary Home to School Diary

Lower Primary School to Home Diary

Upper Primary Home to School Diary

Upper Primary School to Home Diary

Downloadable Home Visual Supports Assessment and Planning Tools:

1. Social Partner Stage Home VSP Planning and Assessment Tool Part B

2. Language Partner Stage Home VSP Planning and Assessment Tool Part B

3. Conversational Partner Stage Home VSP Planning and Assessment Tool Part B

Home VSP Symbol Assessment Tool

Practitioner Pack Home VSP Planning and Assessment Tools

NAIT SCERTS Implementation Guidance and Resources

SCERTS is a framework for assessment and planning for individuals with a range of additional support needs, including autism, that can be used alongside CIRCLE to support the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence.

SCERTS facilitates multi-disciplinary planning for support which is individualised and considers of the individual’s developmental stage as well as their day to day environments. The focus moves away from deficits, to opportunities available for Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Supports.

SCERTS assessment takes place through observation in naturally occurring environments. This is the basis for identifying 4 targets and how these will be met through the curriculum, learning supports and the people around the learner.

Many of the NAIT resources take account of the SCERTS framework.

Information for SCERTS leads

The following resources and links may be useful to support the implementation of SCERTS within local multi-disciplinary teams.

NAIT SCERTS Implementation Guidance 2020

SCERTS Implementation FAQs 2021

NAIT Fictional Case Studies can be used to walk through ‘SCERTS in Action’ planning:

NAIT Fictional Case Studies to Support SCERTS Professional Learning 2025

This accompanying trainer guidance is for leads implementing SCERTS in Action paperwork with local teams

NAIT Fictional Case Studies to Support SCERTS Professional Learning Trainer Notes 2025

SCERTS implementation guidance

The guides below provide key information and reflection tools for staff using the SCERTS Assessment and Planning Framework:

SCERTS Key Messages Poster

NAIT Knowledge and Skills Survey for Education 2023

NAIT Autism Evidence Based Toolkit

Communicating with Parents and Carers

This information can inform communication with parents and carers about SCERTS Assessment and Planning:

Parent Carer SCERTS Assessment and Planning Information 2022

SCERTS related practice tools and guidance

NAIT Strategies to Support Social Partners with Social Communication

NAIT Strategies to Support Language Partners to Initiate and Engage in Social Communication

NAIT Supporting Conversation Partners with Emotional Regulation 2023

NAIT Risk Assessment Template

References and further reading about SCERTS

NAIT SCERTS Publications List 2019

http://scerts.com/

http://seonline.tki.org.nz/ASD/Learning/SCERTS-in-practice

There is no single approach recommended for all autistic people all of the time. There are many evidence based approaches we could use but it is important to think about the individual context in planning what we actually use.

The following resources may be helpful in considering common approaches underpinned by research and practice evidence. They may also support decisions about the local focus for professional learning.

NAIT Autism Evidence Based Toolkit

NAIT Hyperacusis Guidance for schools

Getting it right child planning

Through consultation with parents and carers of autistic children and young people, the following resources can support a positive experience of parent-professional meetings and information sharing.

NAIT Planning Meetings Guidance 2019

NAIT Information for Schools When a Child Receives a Diagnosis of Autism

Return to School Resources

Guidance to Support Planning for Support Autistic Children and Young People Returning to School During COVID-19:

N.B. The following documents will soon be relocated to a new COVID- 19 Section within this website.

Returning to Early Learning and Childcare

Returning to Primary School

Returning to Secondary School