The Autism Toolbox introduces and describes some of the more common challenges a pupil with autism might face and provides real-life case studies from Scottish schools.

There are practical examples of support that you could use in your own school setting along with signposts to other useful websites.

Explore this resource

How to use this resource

The Autism Toolbox can be accessed for a variety of purposes. It is broken down into sections which allow the practitioner to both improve their understanding of autism and to develop practical ways of supporting children and young people with autism.

It supports professional learning about autism in general, and offers in-depth information on particular topics that practitioners encounter. For example, if a learner was struggling with sensory issues, the practitioner could access this topic and find a comprehensive guide exploring ways to respond to a variety of sensory needs.

The content includes the following sections:

• understanding autism
• supporting pupils, for example  transitions, sensory issues
• whole school planning, for example assessment, senior phase
• supporting wellbeing, for example friendships, sexual health
• partnerships with families, for example meetings, support for siblings
• working with others
• resources including videos, reading list, learning grids

Improvement questions

• How well does our school meet the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorders?
• How fully are our learners with autistic spectrum disorders included in the life of the school?
• With reference to autism, what areas of competence do I need to develop as a practitioner?
• How well do we as a school make use of the information and resources included in the Autism Toolbox?

Content author

The Autism Toolbox website is provided by the Scottish Government in partnership with the national charity Scottish Autism, with support from Autism Network Scotland.