Skip to content

Autism and Wellbeing in Schools

Support the mental health of autistic young people and help them thrive in school.

Approximately 70% of autistic young people experience mental health issues, and many autistic children and young people experience challenges and barriers to learning in school. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Autism and Wellbeing in Schools is a new training and school development programme, helping schools to support the mental health and wellbeing of autistic students.

The programme is a joint project from the Anna Freud Centre and AT Autism and has been developed by world leaders in the autism field.

It is completely free for schools, and features resources co-produced by neurodivergent people of all ages.

What is the programme?

You will get two days of free training from experts, with follow-up one-to-one mentoring and reflection sessions.

These sessions will take place once per term across the United Kingdom between July 2023 and July 2024.

Learning outcomes

Participants will learn to:

  • recognise the impact of autism myths and stereotypes on autistic pupils, their peers and school staff

  • appreciate communication and sensory differences between autistic and non-autistic children and young people

  • understand the causes and impacts of masking, meltdown/shutdown and autistic burnout in the school context

  • understand the benefits an experience-sensitive, trauma-informed approach

  • identify ways to promote wellbeing for pupils and staff in school.

Who can take part?

We are now recruiting colleagues from 140 mainstream (fee-paying and independent are not eligible) primary and secondary schools to take part in the programme.

We welcome applications from:

  • school teaching staff currently working in key stages 2 to 4 (this project is not suitable for staff working exclusively in Key Stage 1, sixth form or colleges)

Each school that completes the programme will be eligible for £500 to support their participation in the project. It is free to take part.

Applying to take part

Applications for this programme are now closed.

We hope to be able to offer more places in 2024. Please sign up to our Schools in Mind newsletter where we will share any new opportunities.

If you have a query about an existing application or for any other questions about the programme, please email us at autism.schools@annafreud.org.