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.

Connecting Steps

Connecting Steps is the most popular and effective assessment software for pupils with SEND. A wide range of frameworks that are built into Connecting Steps helps schools get up and running as quickly as possible.

Connecting Steps is the standard asssessment system for pupils with SEND across a number of authorities in the UK. The simple interface, powerful features and flexible approach to progress means it works for a wide range of pupils. Connecting Steps V5 brings even more features and now works on iPads and other tablet devices.

Assess

Connecting Steps makes recording achievements simple. As well as being able to record the skills pupils achieve, you can also record the steps as they work towards it.

Engagement

Before pupils can achieve a skill, they need to engage. Connecting Steps can show the engagement levels of pupils and show the progress as engagement increases.

Graph

Connecting Steps makes showing small steps of progress simple. Progress can be shown in lots of ways, including engagement and non-linear progress. 

Great Feedback

St Edmund's Primary School logo

Autism profiling improves outcomes for autistic pupils

“We use B Squared’s Autism Progress to help monitor the learning and progress that is taking place for children with an ASD diagnosis. This helps us to not only focus on academic targets but also to better understand how autism affects individuals differently. This means we can give better support to each pupil based on their needs and help prepare them with skills needed in later life.”    Victoria Chandler, SENCo – St. Edmund’s Primary School

Star Primary School Logo

Tracking progress for autistic children in all four areas of need

“With a growing number of students on the Autism Spectrum, Autism Progress has helped us to monitor the small steps of progress in all four areas of need for children with ASD: communication, social interaction, flexibility of thought and emotional regulation. This has supported us in providing a holistic education appropriate to the needs of Autistic children; promoting high standards, and fulfilment of their maximum potential in all areas of learning and life skills.”
Faria Alam, Assistant Head Inclusion & SENCO – Star Primary

Want to find out autism progress can support your pupils?

Click on the button to arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how we can help make profiling autism easier for your school

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Who 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.

Autism Progress is based on SCERTS. It is designed to be used alongside your academic assessment to help profile a pupils autism. Autism Progress covers a neurotypical developmental range equivalent to Birth to around 13 to 15 years old.

How will Autism Progress 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 guide 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.

Strategies to Support Pupils

Autism Progress not only contains the profile, but there are also hundreds of strategies to support next steps. For each level, in each area are a number of strategies teachers can use to support students. It is up to the teacher to choose relevant strategies for their pupils. Download our samples to see what the profiling tool and the strategies looks like.

B Squared Sample Assessment Pages

Evisense

Evisense is a powerful evidence for learning system. The social media style interface for staff and parents is simple to use, but extremely powerful. Our apps for iPhone, iPad, android (tablet and phone) and Kindle Fire means whatever device you are using, you can use the Evisense app.

A number of features make Evisense the most secure evidence for learning system. A number of controls ensure data is safe and evidence can only be accessed by the right people. If you use Evisense and Connecting Steps together, you can link evidence to the skills in Connecting Steps. You can then view the evidence from within Connecting Steps.

Capture

It is quick and simple to capture evidence. Use the Evisense app to capture photos, videos or audio recordings. Tag the evidence to a pupil, add your annotation and click Post.

Powerful Evidence

When you add evidence, you can link the evidence to a range of aspects like EHCP outcomes, IEP targets and more. You can then filter the evidence across the whole school.

Share

Share the evidence you collect with parents to help boost parental engagement. Schools can control parental access. It is up to you if parents can comment or add their own evidence.

Want to find out autism progress can support your pupils?

Click on the button to arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how we can help make profiling autism easier for your school

Book a FREE Online Meeting

Working 3 Autism Charties

We worked with 3 autism charities when we created Autism Progress. The charities involved are:

Autism Wessex

While there is no cure for autism, we believe that with appropriate education, support or care and by making the world an easier place to understand, the impact of autism can be reduced and people with autism can be active citizens, enjoying maximum independence and a good quality of life. Autism Wessex is the regional charity providing high quality specialist services for adults and children affected by autism and associated difficulties throughout Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset.

With three main areas of activity, Autism Wessex provides: Portfield School for education, residential and respite services; Community Wessex for social care services; and a range of advocacy and advice services.

Scottish Autism

Established in 1968 by a group of parents, Scottish Autism is an organisation dedicated to enriching the lives of people with autism. We are now the largest provider of autism-specific services in Scotland and a leading authority and advocate for good autism practice. We exist to help those diagnosed with autism to lead full and enriched lives, and also seek to share knowledge and expertise with parents, carers and other professionals, in order to support best care and support for people with autism.

With over 800 staff working across Scotland, we offer a large range of services for people with autism including education, day and vocational opportunities, supported living, outreach, respite and specialist transition support. Our mission is to enable people living with autism in Scotland through the whole life journey.

Noth East Autism Society

North East Autism Society is a registered charity with over 30 years’ experience of providing support for those affected by autism. Our services include education for children aged 3-19, post-19 education and social/vocational training, along with supported and open employment opportunities for adults. We provide year-round residential placements and an ever-increasing range of community services across the region for people of all ages.

We recognise that everyone is unique and that autism affects each person uniquely. Our staff pay close attention to detail, in order to develop a person-centred plan which is specifically tailored to enable them to achieve, grow in confidence and live life to the full.