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Include Autism toolkit

Include Autism

What is Include Autism? 

Our young people have not always had an inclusive experience at youth groups. In fact, some only felt included when they joined our Youth Council.​ This needs to change.​ Autistic young people have an equal right to attend the youth groups that their non-autistic peers do.

The Include Autism toolkit was based on how the Ambitious about Autism Youth Council creates an inclusive, physical, communicative and respectful environment for autistic young people. The toolkit was developed to ensure that other autistic young people can access this type of environment in youth groups in their local areas. Find out more about how and why Include Autism was created by reading the project overview presentation

Our young people recorded what they achieved during the project in a behind-the-scenes report showing how an idea became a tangible resource. 

Include Autism was funded by the Comic Relief Sustainability Fund.

 

Include Autism toolkit

We want the Include Autism Toolkit to be as useful to as many people as possible. It opens with information about autism and then splits into resources for youth group leaders, parents/carers and autistic young people.

You can download the full toolkit or one specific section, all of which are provided below. The toolkit is editable so you can fill in sections with your own information.

 

Download Include Autism toolkit

 

Additional Include Autism tools, resources and templates

As part of the Include Autism Toolkit, our young people created resources that can be used over and over again, to make and maintain supportive and inclusive youth group environments. You can download the individual resources below. 

 

Include Autism workshops

Alongside the toolkit, we are also delivering workshops to young people and youth professionals who work with autistic young people in youth settings.

Workshops have been delivered to:

  • The Mix, the UK's leading digital support service for young people, by young people.
  • Wandsworth Youth Council, a youth council for young people aged 11-19.
  • The Quakers and staff that run their children and young people programmes.
  • The Scouts North London Division.
  • British Youth Council.
  • London Councils.

You can find out more about the Include Autism workshops by getting in touch with the participation team. 

 

Download our resources

Download the individual toolkit sections and additional tools, resources and templates. 

Communication options

Make your youth group accessible by introducing communication badges.

Goal and skill planner

Help autistic youth group members set goals and skills in their personal planner.

Inclusive youth group checklist

This checklist includes all areas in the toolkit to help you improve your practices.

Email or letter template

This provides a email or letter template for parents or carers when contacting a youth group.

One page profile template

Fill in this template and create your own one page profile.

Session plan template

This templates provide the four key areas to cover in every group session.

Support form

This form allows young people to communicate the support they might need to their group leaders.

Support plan template

This template is for youth leaders to have written support plan for autistic group members.

What autism means to me form

This form is for autistic young people to communicate what autism means to them.

Top tips for autistic young people

This download contains section five of the toolkit providing top tips and practical resources.

For youth group leaders

Advice, support and practical resources on including autism for youth group leaders.

For parents and carers

Top tips and practical resources for parents to help support their young people to access new opportunities.

For autistic young people

Support for young people to help them improve their experience at youth groups.

Agenda example

This is an example of an agenda that can be used to plan youth group sessions.