Autism, Speech, Language and Communication Needs course

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with the British Academy of Childhood Disability (BACD) to offer the Autism, Speech, Language and Communication Needs in Childhood distance learning course.

Audience: Doctors, specialist nurses, education staff and any other health professionals supporting children and young people with Autism and their families
Cost: £450 (£400 for BACD members and Sheffield Children’s employees)

Course Content

This course is for professionals involved with assessment and support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, including autism.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the nature of children’s communication needs and relate these to the assessment and support of children, young people and their families and their participation in learning, activities and life skills.
• Understand the nature and typical development of all aspects of communication, including non-verbal communication.
• Understand different types of language and communication disorders.
• Understand the concept of the autistic spectrum and what it includes.
• Support the assessment and management of children/young people with speech, language and communication needs.
• Be able to approach the evaluation of their language development.
• Be aware of the different ways of assessing children with language disorders and communication conditions.
• Be able to manage children and young people with communication needs as a member of a team and understand the various roles and responsibilities.
• Be able to provide input as part of a team, into the assessment and management of autistic children and young people.
• Make informed judgements within this area of neurodisability, knowing when to ask for help and when to refer on.
• Provide effective advice to education, health and other services from the perspective of your specific role.
• Critically evaluate local health and other services and contribute to service development.

Application information

You can apply and start the course any time throughout the year.

The course is self-paced. As a guide, a minimum of four hours study time per week should help you to complete the course in approximately four months. We are flexible with the timeframe as there is no deadline for completion.

Cost: £450