ASD Support 

Early Years SEN Advisory Teachers and practitioners support children and parents in Nursery and pre school settings before and after diagnosis and offer support and training to professionals in these settings. They will also support with extra money for inclusion at a nursery or pre school setting.

Lots of childminders and Nursery/Pre-school settings have experience of children with ASD - this will be listed in their Special needs provision. All nurseries/pre-schools will have someone who looks after support called a SENCO.

If your child is aged 3/4 and receives DLA then pre-school settings can also access the disability access fund this is money they can use to support your child.

Portage Home Visiting Service – work individually with parents and children with complex needs and they also offer a parent course ‘Social Communication Matters’.  This course is aimed at parents with children under three and having social communication diagnosis.

From the age of 3 in Hounslow there is nursery provision at nearly all primary schools. For most children with a diagnosis their needs may well be able to be met at their local school nursery. Every school will have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) that you can talk to about your childs needs. Find out more about school nurseries on the council website.

There are a number of specialist centres for children with a diagnosis of Autism in the borough that are part of mainstream schools they maybe suitable if your child can access most of the curriculum but needs specific support.

If their needs are more complex, profound and include a learning disability the Specialist Assessment nursery at Lindon Bennet or Oaklands maybe more suitable. Admission to the Specialist nursery is completed by the council SEN team.

Many children with Autism will be able to attend their local school, where staff will enable them to access education. A lot of support and training is available to schools to enable them to support children who have special needs including those typical of a child or young person with autism. Further information can be found in the SEN Support section. 

If a child does not have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) then you apply for a school following the standard admissions process. You can find all about Hounslow schools and admissions on the council website. 

If your child already has a diagnosis and an education health and care plan you maybe advised to consider specialist provision. In Hounslow there are specialist centres for children with social communication and Autism diagnosis - which are small classes attached to mainstream schools that maybe suitable for them. 

If a childs needs are very complex and include a learning disability then there are three special schools in the borough for children with Autism.