The symptoms and signs of autism vary greatly from child to child, and so while some children with autism have only mild symptoms, others have to face challenges that affect every part of their day.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3. Conditions such as Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) fall within the autistic spectrum, and can cover a wide range of different needs. In general, children with ASD develop more slowly than others their age, and sometimes, do not learn common skills in the same way or order. Since autism can have an effect on mental and physical development, it can then cause wider repercussions on a child's learning both at school and home.

Autistic masking is a survival strategy for autistic people. It is used to hide autistic symptoms or traits and to mimic the neurotypical. Masking in school can present in many different ways. Find out more about masking in autism.

If you are considering working within Special Education, it is very important that you gain as much information as you can, either from online sources, or by talking to special education providers. On top of this, finding volunteer placements in an area you feel most suited to will help you see what skills you already have that are useful within education, and then what you need to work on.

An inclusive classroom is a place where every child has an equal chance of learning, regardless of whether they have a disability or special need. Find out what are the top methods for teachers to create a socially inclusive classroom at school.

Children with SEN require extra help in particular areas, such as in communication and interaction, cognition and learning, mental or emotional health and physical skills. As a result, SEN support is extremely varied, from the small, day to day support of being there for your child, to larger considerations, such as buying technology that can help their mobility around school. Also, your child might only need support for a short amount or time, or they might need it for many years, even beyond their education. The key areas of support that are often considered include: