Teach Secondary - Issue 13.2

Debby Elley highlights some supportive steps teachers and careers advisors can take when helping neurodivergent students enter the world of further study or work 8 steps to success A ccording to the Office for National Statistics, 78% of autistic people are not in work. Let’s imagine what it would be like for over three quarters of the non-autistic population to be unemployed. What would the impact of that be, both for them personally and for society as a whole? At the moment, we’re casually discarding the economic potential of an entire demographic. Careers advisors need to be passionate about helping to redress this balance not just for autistic students, but for the neurodivergent cohort as a whole. Yes, there’s much to be done when it comes to educating employers – but working with youngsters early on to address their distinct needs will be of considerable help. 1. Knowyour student Before any kind of careers support is provided to students with autism, conversations should be had with the school’s SENCo and students’ form tutors. Don’t overlook parents and carers, as they’ll be invaluable in helping you to form a good picture of the sort of help required. Ask the pupil how they would prefer their advice sessions to be run. I’m aware of one careers advisor who positions chairs so that autistic pupils can look out of the window and keeps fidget items on her desk. She also offers a ‘walking and talking’ option, where the lack of face to face contact, combined withmovement, can stimulate real discussion. With autistic pupils, providing themwith choices can help give a sense of control and reduce anxiety. 2.Drawup a contract Some youngsters are used to feigning knowledge in order to avoid feeling foolish. To begin with, make an informal contract to establish trust. Explain that you don’t expect them to knowmuch about what they haven’t yet experienced, that no question is too silly to ask, and that they can be honest about their hopes and fears for the future, including any perceived obstacles. In return, you’ll be able to help them plan some meaningful steps forward. 3.Adopt a non- threatening approach Non-threatening approaches clear the way for students to admit to gaps in their knowledge. ‘Do you know what a CV is?’ is rather confrontational. Instead, use softer approaches that avoid sounding like tests: ‘Lots of people think they might know what a CV is, but they aren’t quite sure…’ Admitting your own fallibility can sometimes help, too. For instance, ‘When I was younger, I hadn’t got a clue about…’ Never assume that a student will already aware of why something may be important, and instead present the reasons for it to be. Using the same gentle approach, you can have discussions that would otherwise be challenging to process, and help them acquire key knowledge they may be missing. 4.‘Here’s one I did earlier…’ Your autistic students may not be aware of the best language and approach to use when writing a CV or attending an interview. Doing either of those things requires them to imagine how they will come across from the perspective of a third party; a form of ‘3D thinking’ that may be a fundamental challenge for them. Solid visuals work far better than abstract concepts, so create some example CVs that incorporate their hobbies and dreams and really go to town on imagining what a poorly presented CVmight look like, so that they knowwhat to avoid. Make it fun! To help themunderstand the purpose behind self- presentation, you could ask them to watch a favourite TV advert while observing how key messages are used to engage potential buyers. 5.Use concrete tools Many pupils with SEND can find abstract concepts difficult, and will struggle to retain auditory information – particularly when the topic is unfamiliar. Some careers-related topics can be effectively explored through the use of card games, either individually or as a group. Rather than just talking about the steps needed to secure work experience placements, for instance, you could write each step on a card and ask pupils to decide in which order they should be tackled. For youngsters who struggle to plan tasks systematically, this kind of exercise can be especially beneficial. The same technique can also be used when analysing a student’s priorities. Starting with a hierarchy of needs defined by them, write each “Howdoyouplan fora future you can’t picture?What ifa job ends up involving too muchpressure?” 32 teachwire.net/secondary