Autism NI (PAPA), Donard, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast, BT8 8BH

Autism NI is based in Belfast but works throughout Northern Ireland in training, lobbying and parent support capacities.

Our Mission Statement in brief is to “ensure that individuals with Autism and their carers are valued members of the community”.  We achieve this through a bi-lateral approach of parent support and training for parents and professionals. 

Autism NI is parent-led and has developed a network of positive and dynamic partnerships across Northern Ireland within the statutory and voluntary sectors.  To understand the development of the existing Autism NI training department it is necessary to briefly examine the relevant background.  Prior to 2002, Autism NI increasingly received a steady flow of requests for training regarding Autistic Spectrum Disorder from both statutory and voluntary organisations, as well as from parents and carers.  Autism NI responded to these requests regionally on a needs-led basis.  Training was therefore delivered on an ad-hoc basis to relatively small pockets of recipients over a wide geographical area.  While there were pockets of quality training, it was not universally available or standardised.   This was not a cost effective method nor was it meeting the increasing need for knowledge, training and information regarding the complexity of Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Through Autism NI's extensive Branch support network and membership, the organisation was in a unique position of being able to base decisions and strategies on real consultations.  Branches and members all emphasised the need for awareness and understanding of Autism within the service provision network.  Since the completion of the Departments of Educations Task Group on Autism Report in 2002, there has been an increasing volume of inter and cross-agency training audits identifying Autism as a key training need.  The Task Group Report highlighted the increasing prevalence of Autism as well as gaps in services, professional expertise and parental support.  Its underpinning recommendations regarding training paved the way for the Autism NI transition into a training agency.

The training department wing of Autism NI was therefore developed in recognition of the critical need for a quality, specialist and coherent approach to training delivery.

In 2002 Autism NI was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Department for Health and Social Services (DHSS&PS) to become the training organisation for ASD in Northern Ireland.  This initiative was in response to the demand from a range of agencies for accessible quality training regarding a range of approaches and interventions.  DHSS&PS awarded Autism NI a three-year grant to establish a regional strategy for ASD in Northern Ireland.

At the end of this funding period, DHSS&PS evaluated the training and commended the service issuing a letter recommending Autism NI’s training services to all Boards and Trusts in Northern Ireland. “The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety consider that Autism NI ASD Training Service offers an excellent resource for organisations and individuals working with children and adults with ASD” (Colin McMinn DHSS&PS, 2002).

Autism NI is the best-placed organisation to undertake ASD training in Northern Ireland.  Many links and relationships had been established over the years with worldwide training providers, thus offering knowledge, opportunities and expertise to parents and professionals locally.  Since being commissioned by DHSS&PS, we train over 3,000 delegates per year and work in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies.

Research

Autism NI has been involved in all local research involving ASD in Northern Ireland and we have also worked to ensure that the results of this research are implemented.  Examples include:

• Evaluation of the TEACCH Approach for children and adults in Northern Ireland (1996) commissioned by DHSS&PS and conducted by Autism NI and the University of Ulster.  (Autism NI is one of the host agencies of TEACCH in Northern Ireland).
• The Task Group on Autism (2002) DENI.  Autism NI was on the steering group of the Task Group, which sought to develop good practice for education in Northern Ireland. Subsequently DHSS&PS awarded Autism NI a grant in 2006 to strategically address the training needs identified in the Task Group Report.
• The Keyhole Early Intervention Programme for children with ASD (2003) conducted by Autism NI and the University of Ulster.  The Keyhole approach for Early Intervention is now being delivered in Northern Ireland and has been developed into an Autism NI training package.  Keyhole is the underpinning philosophy in the Autism NI and WHSSB WASP Early Intervention partnership in the West.  The three recommendations of the Keyhole Research are now being delivered: 1. Early Intervention, 2. Keyhole training for early years professionals and 3. Parent Training (i.e. the ACCESS Parent discussion workshops).
• The Western Autism Support Project (WASP) 2004-2007, a partnership between WHSSB and Autism NI to provide an early intervention therapist in line with Keyhole recommendations. This project is subject to ongoing evaluation and has achieved all the aims set out to date i.e. reducing parental stress, improving expertise in the area and providing parents with ongoing support in the form of Autism NI Branches in the area.
• Evaluation of pre-school services for Autism in Northern Ireland (2006), Autism NI and University of Ulster.  Commissioned by DENI.
• The Connecting with Autism project, which works with families to improve the social communication of children with ASD.  The evaluation report of the project indicates that improving communication between parents and children reduces parental stress.

View our research section.

The Mandate

Autism NI is unique among national Autism Societies.  It has a strict partnership ethos based upon the parent and professional membership of the Board of Directors and Branch Network.  The parent-led ethos is strong and reflected in a positive regional Branch Network.

As a consequence, Autism NI has been able to forge unique partnerships to the benefit of individuals with Autism in Northern Ireland.  This is reflected in the depth and variety of our worldwide training contracts.  Autism NI’s pivotal role in ASD research is tangible proof of its ability to deliver quality ASD training.

Historically Autism NI’s role has been in delivering awareness training and forging links with training providers worldwide (e.g. TEACCH, IABA, PECS, ICON to ICAN).  Our longstanding relationship with Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children) has resulted in a team of independent TEACCH trainers in Northern Ireland.  Autism NI orchestrated the development of a TEACCH study group for local professionals and the development of a strategy with local Trusts to develop TEACCH teams in each area.

The development of TEACCH in Northern Ireland is just one example of Autism NI’s commitment to, not just delivering training in Northern Ireland, but to actively work with Health Boards and Trusts to develop training strategies to guide staff expertise.  Between 1989 and 2002, Autism NI also delivered yearly conferences featuring national and international experts such as Tony Attwood, Temple Grandin, Carol Gray, Gary Mesibov and Rita Jordan.

Training Needs Assessment

As the pioneers of ASD training in Northern Ireland, Autism NI has a policy of ongoing evaluation of its training to ensure that what we are delivering continues to fulfil the need.

As part of our drive for excellence, we have an ongoing process of evaluation and assessment of training development carried out by Professor Roy McConkey of the University of Ulster.  No other organisation in Northern Ireland or Great Britain currently offers a comparable range of Autism training opportunities.  The training needs of all delegates are assessed as a matter of procedure and each delegate completes a post-training evaluation form.

Autism NI collates this information to guide the future development of training. We are in a crucial position to develop and implement a comprehensive “Training Strategy” and offer continuity between Boards and Trusts, so that parents can be assured of consistent and quality training to professionals across geographic and demographic boundaries.  Autism NI has an impressive portfolio of courses for both professionals and families.