Autism in early childhood education

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesAutism in early childhood education
type here...
Early childhood
Thought leadership
School

Autism in early childhood education

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesAutism in early childhood education

Topic summary

Autism is a form of neurodiversity that may be present in children from a young age.

Autism, autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder. This means that autism is present early in life and it is thought to be due to differences in the brain. Children with autism have difficulty with social communication and interacting with others. They also have restricted and repetitive behaviours, interests, and activities.

Without appropriate support, the characteristics associated with autism may make it harder for a child to function in social situations, at school, and/or at home. Autism is a broad spectrum, meaning that some children may require a lot more support than others. The amount and type of support that each child needs will also change as they develop.

Researchers are continually learning more about ASD, which has implications for which children are classified as having ASD. There also is a growing body of research on how to support children with ASD, however, there is still the need for much more research in this area. 

Children with autism are more than capable of learning new skills and of interacting successfully with peers and adults. In some cases, they may need more support or different types of support to thrive. It is important to remember that every child with autism is different, and that no strategcy will work for every child. It is important to increase engagement and participation of children with autism, such as through hooking them with an activity or topic they particularly enjoy. Support communication and understanding through the use of pictures and visuals. It also is helpful to involve the parents.

  • How do I view children with autism?
  • Do I feel confident in how to support children with autism in the individualised ways that they need?
  • Do I know where to go for support if I think I have a child in my centre with autism?
  • How do I engage with the parents and whanau of autistic children?

Research reviews

An introduction to autism

A brief introduction to autism and what it means for teaching and learning.

Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance

An introduction to a rare but distinct form of autism.

Strategies for supporting autistic children in early childhood settings

A set of strategies for supporting autistic children to thrive in early childhood settings.

Supporting social and emotional competence for autistic children

Understanding the social and emotional strengths and needs of autistic children.

Webinars

Autism and culturally responsive practice

COMING UP: 8.00PM WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18

Supporting children with autism in early childhood education

Dr Hannah Waddington (Victoria University of Wellington) and PhD student Jessica Tupou discuss strategies and practical techniques for supporting children with autism in an early childhood setting.

Infographics

Snapshots

How to support autistic children in early childhood settings

Insights from our webinar with Hannah Waddington and Jessica Tupou on supporting autistic children in early childhood settings.
“Thanks for the opportunity. This was without doubt amongst the best professional development I have done in many years.”
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“I've just started and it's incredible! Best professional learning course I have participated in in a long time. I've just completed Part 2 – so inspiring!”
Course participant
Visual Arts in ECE
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Continue with your excellent work. I get feedback that student teachers love it too.”
Educator
Martinborough
“I have found all your webinars to be of incredible value to myself and my team. Thank you.”
Centre Leader
Auckland
“You guys are doing a FABULOUS job - keep up the great work. And thank-you for offering free webinars; readings etc - in this current climate it is so hard to find money for extra things and PD is usually the first thing that gets a budget cut. Having access to your webinars means that there is no excuse for my teachers not keep professionally ahead of the game. My team and I certainly appreciate it.”
Early childhood teacher
Wellington
“I LOVE your work. It is super useful as an AST in a large COL, The Education Hub is a springboard for my own self-driven PD and a good resource for the spectrum of needs in our Kahui Ako. Thank you for the epic work you do!”
Advanced Skills Teacher
New Zealand
“Appreciate the diverse range of resources on offer!”
Intermediate school teacher
New Zealand
“The Education Hub is a gem and I recommend it to all schools I work with.”
Education consultant
New Zealand
“The resources and support provided by The Education Hub are greatly appreciated. As an HOD in a small school, in a small department usually made up of beginning teachers, it often falls on my shoulders alone to try and be up to date with ensuring our programmes are founded on sound pedagogical practices in terms of teaching in general and our particular curriculum area ... so I'm like a sponge when it comes to what you provide.”
Head of Department
“The Hub articles have been really useful and provided conversations for staff meetings and provocations for teachers. Thank you - great work and food for thought.”
School leader
Dunedin
“Articles are always well considered and written. I enjoy the content; it’s a superb resources for teachers”
Teacher (primary)
Tauranga
"I love this site!! I love everything you do for us educators, professional leaders and whanau. I loved this site during my studies last year when I upgraded to a Degree. Love it – thank you!"
New entrant teacher
Wellington
“I really value the Education Hub as a non-partisan (and non-reactionary) force for building consensus around what works and what matters in (New Zealand) education. There's nothing like it, and without it we'd be at the mercy of the more vociferous at both ends of the spectrum (progressive vs conservative).”
Deputy Principal
Christchurch
“Keep up the great mahi, I would struggle to have conversations with teachers about current pedagogy without you!”
Professional development provider
Auckland
“Having discovered The Education Hub this year, it has been timely as I navigate the teaching of structured literacy. The content has been so relevant and reliable, I come away wanting more.”
Primary teacher
Nelson
“The information I have gained from the webinars I have watched this year has been so enlightening and it has fueled my desire to further my own knowledge. We are lucky to have such a great resource.”
Preschool teacher
Palmerston North
“Thank you for providing high quality professional learning that is easily accessible.”
High school teacher
Napier
“I really appreciate the quality and range of the webinars you provide. I love that I can access them later if I don't get to watch them at the time.”
Teacher
Bay of Plenty
"Thank you! This course has renewed my passion for writing meaningful learning stories that are backed up with intentional teaching and show progression of learning and development."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you to those of you who are working hard to keep this resource relevant and accessible for all of us in the education sector. More specifically, I appreciate the balanced approach taken by your team to specific topic”
School leader
Manukau
"I liked the mix of different aspects that kept things interesting, I enjoyed sharing my new learning with my colleagues and I loved learning new practical aspects of story writing."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you so much for the valuable service you provide. We are so lucky to have access to this quality of resources.”
Graduate teacher
Blenheim
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2022 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from Nina Hood Founder of The Education Hub

Thanks for visiting our site. We provide all our resources for FREE.
To enable us to continue our work, please take a minute to register.

Thanks,
Nina

Close
Register an Account
Already a member?
*
*
*
*
*
*