Watch our Films
My Voice Matters
A short film highlighting the many voices of children and young people we feature in our films and why it’s important to support their voices to be heard.
Dan & Charlie: 5 years on, life on the Autism Spectrum
Father and son, Dan and Charlie share an update on how their experience of living with Autism has evolved over the past five years since we last spoke with them in this Real life experience film.
Rachel – Life as a SENCO
Watch the more detailed interview with Rachel. In her role as a SENCO, she comes across many situations which entail noticing signs of physical or language issues, being empathetic when dealing with family problems such as a medical diagnosis or a grieving process. Her relationship with parents is based on open dialogue, honesty about processes and being available to discuss issues.
Autism Spectrum: Tips For Teachers
This 5 minute film gives Tips for Teachers who may have a child in their class with an autism diagnosis.
Read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list.
Autism Spectrum Condition in Children Information Film
This film explains how to recognise and support an autistic child.
The film focuses on children who may have low support needs or are particularly good at ‘masking’ their difficulties. The film also highlights how autistic people can develop mental health conditions.
Read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list.
Autism and Co-existing Conditions in Children
Autism is a form of neurodiversity which affects how people see the world and how they communicate and interact. Autistic people will often, but certainly not always, experience some mental health challenges.
It is estimated that around 70% of autistic people have one mental health condition (such as anxiety, ADHD, depression or OCD) and around 40% of the 70% will have more than one. Some of these mental health conditions begin in childhood and are sometimes referred to as co-occurring or co-existing conditions.
Early intervention can be extremely effective at limiting the effects of these co-existing mental health conditions. Watch our film which features an interview with Professor Emily Simonoff, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s College London, to find out more about autism and co-existing mental health conditions.
Find out more about Autism in children, read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list.
Raising a child with autism: Carrie and David
Carrie and David describe how their happy child began to feel excluded and different when they started school. The outside world is so structured towards the neurotypical that it was causing a lot of damage to Tylan who is autistic.
It is a misnomer that autistic children are not sociable. They want to be able to have all kinds of friends. But if they are excluded and don’t fit in anywhere, this leads to feelings of isolation, sadness and depression.
Tylan finally came into her own when they became an actor playing an autistic character for Hollyoaks. The company and other cast members were determined to understand Tylan. They constantly change the environment around them and make adjustments to suit Tylan’s needs. As a result, Tylan has flourished.
Find out more about autism in children, read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list.
Growing up with Autism: Tylan
Tylan felt alienated at school, thinking everything they did was wrong. Having a diagnosis of autism helped them but they developed anxiety, felt overwhelmed, had sensory overload and preferred to be alone rather than with people who didn’t understand them. Tylan then developed clinical depression which didn’t allow them to see how things could get better or how they could succeed in life.
Tylan’s job at Hollyoaks, where many adjustments were made to suit their needs, allowed them to flourish.
Find out more about Autism Spectrum Condition in Children, read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list and free interactive guide.
Living with Autism: Dan and Charlie
Find out more about autism in children, read and download our fact sheets, watch more videos or sign up for our mailing list.
Further information:
Autism is a form of neurodivergence which means that children process information differently to neurotypical children. Autism may affect a child’s communication, social interaction, behaviour, or sensory processing, but the experience of every autistic child is different.
Autistic children may experience higher levels of anxiety. However, they may also learn to mask their difficulties, which can make it harder to receive the most appropriate support. If you are ever unsure if a child is autistic, contact their parents to talk through their needs and make sure they will be able to learn and grow in your classroom.