Autism diagnoses have increased to 1 in 100 people in the UK. Support for autistic children in schools has improved but mental health is still important, especially given anxiety is associated with autism. As the course teaches, autistic people must learn to function in a society not designed for them. Support for autism and mental health has increased in schools, meaning children are more likely to have accommodating environments. The course will cover how schools focus on autistic children's mental health and teach social skills so autistic children can interact with peers while promoting autism understanding among other students. Autism is now viewed as an alternate brain wiring rather than a stigma, unlike previous decades.

1. Autism and Children’s Mental Health
Autism diagnoses have been increasing throughout the world’s population in the last few
decades, having now reached the point of one in 100 people in the UK, according to
the National Autistic Society. Awareness has also grown exponentially, and support in
schools for autistic children is far better than it used to be.
However, one of the most important aspects of education is mental health – this is for any
child, but particularly for those with autism, because anxiety tends to be associated with
autism. As our course on autism and mental health teaches, people with autism have to learn
to function in a society that is not designed for them. In addition to everyday concerns, such
as finishing a project or making sure to remember a packed lunch, the classic concern for
autistic people is whether they will remember how to read someone’s social cues.
Because autism and mental health, in general, have come to the forefront, support in these
areas has been increasingly established in schools. Children with autism – and, indeed, all
children – are more likely to grow up in a world that will be accommodating to their needs in
school, and eventually in the workplace. In the course, we will learn how attention is being
focused in schools and the wider world on the mental health of autistic children. Social skills
are taught to children with autism so it is easier for them to interact with their peers, and
autism awareness is promoted among the wider student population, so children without
autism will understand how to interact with their autistic peers. Autism is promoted among
the general population as an alternate wiring of the brain, a mental health status in itself, and
nothing for the individual to be ashamed of – unlike the stigma that was attached to it in
previous decades.
Signs of autism usually show up in early childhood, and the most common is when a young
child finds it difficult to communicate with others at the level considered appropriate for their
age. Our Autism & Children’s Mental Health course, designed for professionals who work
with autistic people, or anyone interested in autism and the people who present with it, offers
a comprehensive look at autism and the mental health of autistic children in particular.
Photo: Autism by PlusLexia.com licensed under Creative commons