Autism Progress - A Profiling Tool for Autism
Autism Progress has been created to give education and care professionals a universal language to describe, discuss and address the unique challenges faced by individuals with autism.
This new profiling tool is designed for use across a wide range of settings and disciplines – from the classroom to residential and adult care – each of which have very different needs. It has been developed by the assessment specialists B Squared, in collaboration with experts from three leading charities – Autism Wessex, Scottish Autism and the North East Autism Society. Experienced Special Educational Needs teachers, Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists have also helped to develop and finalise the content.
What is Autism Progress for?
We recognised a need for an assessment tool which could be used by all to assess the impact of a person’s autism. To help build this profile, we have created a set of progressive levels in the following areas of autism:
- Communication
- Flexibility of Thought
- Social Interaction
- Emotional Regulation
Autism Progress can be used to accurately map the impact of a person’s autism and guide the development of targeted support strategies. The ultimate aim is to enrich the quality of life of people with autism.
How will it be used?
Autism Progress is a framework that is used within Connecting Steps and Evisense. The framework give the most detailed picture of an individual's capabilities. People can be profiled from birth to early adulthood. Our handbook clearly and concisely describes how the profile is to be used. It is not seeking to ‘normalise’, but to support understanding of the person’s unique developmental profile. Once the profile has been completed, it will underpin discussions about future strategies and goals for that person.
Using the framework within Connecting Steps allows settings to show the small steps of progress the person is making towards overcoming their barriers, with the support of the strategies. It also helps produce data to help identify areas where support is needed. Any skills in Autism Progress that are in our other frameworks are automatically linked, giving a more holistic view. Using Autism Progress with Evisense allows professionals to evidence the achievements and progress made. Settings can take photos or record videos at different times and use these to really show the progress the person has made.