Francine Brower is a Specialist Advisory Teacher and Project Co-ordinator for ASD, Oldham Education Authority, Great Manchester.

1. Enhancing Understanding; - good practice for all; - generalising information; - the need for consistency; - incidental learning; - reducing stress; 2. Enabling Communication; - processing time; - understanding idioms; - positive language; - repairing conversations; - literal understanding; - developing dialogue; - missing inference; 3. Developing Social Skills; - eye contact; - recognising triggers for behaviour; - proactive interventions; - discrete teaching of skills; 4. Creating the Right Environment; - visual supports; - cue cards; - how to organise; - a safe haven; - whole school understanding; - acoustics; - lighting; - unstructured time; 5. Teaching Coping Strategies; - the use of humour; - first/then motivators; - coping with homework; - adult mentors; 6. Tackling the curriculum; - developing independence. - clear start and finish to tasks; - differentiation of work; - written supports; - recognising specialist language; - getting the main idea; - using mind maps; - specific ideas on each core area of the curriculum; 7. Encouraging Flexibility; - use of resources; - planning for change; - bending the rules; - negotiation; 8. Summary of key points; - patience; - small steps; - identifying progress; - record keeping; - rewards; - feedback to the pupil; - the pupil voice.