Who should be involved in building capacity?
Building capacity involves working in collaboration with the child or young person, his or her caregivers and those involved in supporting the child or young person e.g. teacher, health professionals etc.
An essential element of building capacity includes consensus from all i.e. those involved in caring and supporting the child and young person with autism, as a means of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing progress. Central to building capacity, is the child or young person, therefore were possible, they should be provided with the opportunity to have their input or say into any decisions or plans made to support them. Forming close working relationships between professionals and caregivers and across professionals and the wider community is also vitally important. This helps to ensure that there is open and consistent communication at all levels to ensure that the best interests of the individual with autism are met.
Points to remember
- As every child and young person with autism presents differently. There is no “one size fits all” approach to improving their learning experience. It is important to identify individual strengths and needs so support can be tailored accordingly.
- The child is central to building capacity in the home and school environment developing relationships with home, school and the wider community helping to create a supportive environment.
- Developing good observation and listening skills and sharing what you have learnt about the child or young person is vitally important in developing strong parental and professional relationships.
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