The Early Years Service funds the Bristol Autism Team to provide support, advice, and guidance to early years practitioners in settings enabling them to ensure children with a diagnosis of Autism are able to fully access their early education.

This is an all year round service and the offer includes the following support which is based on the individual needs of the child and their family:

• Offer general Autism good practice strategies/resources for staff
• Meet Parents/Carers in the setting with staff
• Home visiting to support parents when they are starting to use PECS at home.
• Attend annual review/multi-agency meeting
• Signpost parent/carers to local/national support groups
• Support the setting in identifying Support Plan Outcomes
• Offer further Autism good practice strategies/resources for early years practitioners on various themes/areas of concerns
• Support and train early years practitioners in setting up and using workstations and Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) where needed.
• Support the setting in setting PSP or behaviour plan
• Setting monitoring systems to meet EHCP outcomes
• To support early years settings when applying for additional funding and setting monitoring systems to make best use of Early Years SEN Panel funding
• Recording of learning and development progress
• Support the positive transfer of children to the next phase of their education in liaison with parents and other professionals involved with the child and family.
• Staff access to Autism training if applicable
• To provide a non-designated key working role for families of children accessing their service.