The Importance of Community Engagement

The Importance of Community Engagement in Autism Education 

by Natasha Walker, Springfields Autism Support Advisor

Here at Springfields, we work closely with families and the local community to foster an inclusive environment for our autistic pupils. We uphold the social model of disability, rather than the medical/pathologizing model, helping remove barriers to accessibility and championing equality for neurodivergent people.

 

Sadly, autistic children regularly miss out on activities such as community events, extra-curricular classes, and overnight visits or trips (Egilson et al., 2017). This is often due to the community environment not being suited to a neurodivergent brain, with a high demand for social interactions, a high level of sensory input, and a lack of predictability.

Building a supportive school community for families of autistic children allows us to provide them with the opportunities and experiences that may otherwise be inaccessible to them.

A supportive community also has a positive impact on parents and carers, providing them with opportunities to interact with families who have similar experiences and seeing their child flourish in an inclusive environment.

 

So, how do The Springfields Academy build this supportive community?

  • Providing pupils with opportunities beyond the classroom. Children have regular trips into the community, visit our in-house Forest School, and as they get older take part in Preparation for Adulthood, providing them with the experiences they need to build safe, independent lives. Pupils from upper KS2 onwards get the chance to try overnight stays, ranging from evening campfire experiences, to onsite residentials, to PGL and ski trips or other international visits for our older pupils. Older students can also work towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award which includes a variety of day and overnight expeditions.

  • Support for parents. Our parent support advisor, Therese Flaherty, is available to talk through any problems parents may be experiencing, as well as organising regular coffee mornings for Springfields parents to meet and chat.

  • Regular communication. All our parents have weekly communication with their child’s teacher, so they are kept well informed. Teachers and parents work together to make plans to best support each pupil, in consultation with our in-house therapy team.

  • Giving parents the opportunity to visit the school, and for children to share their learning with them. Each unit of our Enquiry curriculum ends with a ‘Fabulous Finish’, where children can share their successes with the wider community. Explorer 3’s recent art exhibition was very popular and we have tea parties and fruit salad tasting sessions coming up!

  • A-Fest and Neurodiversity Network. We welcome speakers from across the community to speak about their experiences of neurodiversity and share best practice. Community members are encouraged to attend, network and celebrate autism with us at these neuro-affirming events.

  • Community events. Our yearly Christmas Cracker and Summer Spectacular is a chance for members of our community to visit the school and help raise funds for valuable resources for our pupils.

 

With community engagement in mind, we would love to invite you all to our Christmas Cracker this year! Please see the poster below for details.