
3 Popular Strategies to Support Autism in the Classroom
Today marks the start of World Autism Acceptance Week. Schools across the country will spend the next seven days celebrating their pupils and staff on the spectrum. At Teaching Personnel, we hope that all the week's events, activities and fundraisers will expand people's understanding of both the challenges and the many joys that constitute life with ASD.
The world can sometimes seem like a scary and disheartening place for children with autism. When human communication feels like a strange game whose rules you can’t always grasp, even the most innocuous of everyday scenarios can become distressing and disorientating. That’s why educators and researchers have devised a great number of strategies for supporting autism in the classroom.
Special Needs Education is such a rich field of study that it would take hours to explore all these strategies and their many acronyms and abbreviations. Instead, let’s take a closer look at three of the most commonly-used strategies in UK classrooms for supporting autistic students: SCERTS, SPELL and TEACCH, and how schools are putting them into practice.
What is the SCERTS model?
SCERTS is a model designed to help teachers, families, therapists, and anyone else with a duty of care to an autistic child. It is an acronym that refers to the model’s three core planks, as outlined on the official SCERTS website.
- SC (Social communication) - the development of spontaneous, functional communication, emotional expression, and secure and trusting relationships with children and adults
- ER (Emotional Regulation) - the development of the ability to maintain a well-regulated emotional state to cope with everyday stress, and to be most available for learning and interacting
- TS (Transactional Support) - the development and implementation of supports to help partners respond to the child’s needs and interests, modify and adapt the environment, and provide tools to enhance learning (e.g., picture communication, written schedules, and sensory supports). Specific plans are also developed to provide educational and emotional support to families, and to foster teamwork among professionals.
SCERTS is conceived as a ‘lifespan’ model that allows appropriate elements of support to be applied consistently over time. This ambition and scope means that SCERTS can readily integrate elements of other frameworks and models, including those we will explore in this piece.
As a toolbox for structuring collaboration within support teams, SCERTS is the gold standard.
How schools are putting SCERTS into place
A large number of both mainstream and special schools across the UK employ SCERTS as a guiding principle.
At Hill Top School in Gateshead, teachers and parents work as a team with Speech and Language Therapists to assess children and assign personalised goals using the SCERTS framework. These targets are reviewed at six-month intervals.
Just across the Tyne in Newcastle, Benton Dene School turns these plans into activities that are “motivating and appropriate to the child’s interests and needs”, delivered in small groups, one-to-one or as “seemingly incidental” tasks occurring throughout the school day.
Queensmill School in West London are evangelists for SCERTS, naming it the model that “most closely aligns with our fundamental ethos”. Beyond simply implementing the model internally, the school has “frequently hosted training events” to share the benefits of SCERTS with “as wide an audience as possible”.
What is the SPELL model?
The SPELL model is the National Autistic Society’s in-house framework for responding to the individual needs of people on the spectrum.
Like SCERTS, this framework’s acronym represents its five core principles that, as the NAS writes, “have been identified as vital elements of best practice when working with autistic people”. These are:
Structure
Strong and dependable structures are vital in making life comfortable, safer and more autonomous for people with autism. This means that anyone working with autistic children should seek to embed predictable patterns and stable environments in their lives.
Positive (approaches and expectations)
Expectations for achievements should be high yet realistic. Those working to support children with ASD should strive to “establish and reinforce self-confidence and self-esteem” through assessments that take into view the individual’s specific barriers. This will allow children who often prefer the comfort of familiar or repetitive experiences to broaden their horizons with less anxiety.
Empathy
Anybody who works with autistic people needs to try and see the world from their standpoint. This means making an effort to develop an understanding of what improves and what reduces that individual’s quality of life. This will help develop crucial bonds of trust.
Low arousal
The routine hubbub of day-to-day life can be severely sensorily overloading for people with autism. This is why learning environments must be made as uncluttered, calm and unobtrusively lit as possible to maintain a low and productive level of sensory arousal. Appropriate environmental management is a basic tenet of inclusive practice and accessibility.
Links
Strong bonds of advocacy between the autistic individual, their families, teachers, support workers and other members of a support network are central to the SPELL model. Links of collaboration and communication will, the NAS report,“reduce the risk of misunderstanding, confusion or […] fragmented, piecemeal approaches”.
How schools are putting SPELL into practice
Thanks, in part, to its origins within the National Autistic Society, the SPELL model is widely used in both special and mainstream UK schools.

SAFE put SPELL front-and-centre of their efforts to support those pupils. Staff are given yearly training in its concepts and recommendations, while senior leaders and managers refer to SPELL when making high-level decisions.
At the nearby Marlborough School in Sidcup, senior leaders and teachers build SPELL guidelines into the fabric of daily school life. This work spans a range of tactics, from using colour coding books by subject to provide a structured baseline for independent study and using plain worksheets without unnecessary illustrations to liaising with Occupational Therapists and Educational Psychologists.
SPELL’s applicability to so many areas of schooling is one of its strengths as a strategy for supporting students with autism.
What is the TEACCH framework?
The TEACCH framework (Teaching and Education of Autistic and related Communication-Handicapped Children) was developed by American researchers in the 1960s at the University of North Carolina.
TEACCH involves five core values for everyone engaged.
Teaching
Sharing knowledge on autism and increasing the skill level of other practitioners and professionals.
Expanding
Increasing one’s own knowledge in order to provider higher-quality services to autistic people and their families.
Appreciating
Gaining an understanding of the existence of autism as a ‘culture’
Collaborating and Cooperating
Working productively with colleagues, other professionals, autistic people and their families.
Holistic
Adopting a holistic approach and a perspective that encompasses the individual, their family and their community.
These five values are realised through tactics that should feel quite familiar by now.
- Physical structure – organising the individual’s physical environment with clear physical boundaries.
- Consistent schedules – giving children dependable routines in how they structure their day and how their learning works.
- Establishing expectations – a clear and realistic set of expectations will help caregivers structure the support that children receive.
- Using visually-based clues – autistic people often find visual learning much more intuitive than verbal methods.
How schools are putting TEACCH into practice
Over the last few decades, TEACCH has crossed the Atlantic and found a foothold in UK schools.
At Oaklands School in Hounslow, staff adhere to the TEACCH method through a highly individualised and granular set of practices. Teachers carefully designate different teaching areas for different functions, cover windows or removing distractions to prevent overstimulation and redesign learning materials in order to maximise their visual clarity.
At Henry Tyndale School in Hampshire, teachers create self-contained activities called TEACCH tasks for each child to complete independently. These tasks will be tailored to every child’s individual interests and learning abilities.
How your school can implement these strategies too
As the UK’s largest educational recruitment agency, Teaching Personnel helps thousands of primary, secondary and special schools across the country support their autistic and SEN pupils.
We provide these schools with teaching and support staff trained in a variety of common strategies. All our educators have access to a rich range of specialist CPD training courses, including our National Autistic Society-accredited Understanding Autism module.
For advice on how your school can integrate practices like SCERTS, SPELL and TEACCH into classroom life and make education easier for your autistic pupils, get in touch today.
SEN Resources from Teaching Personnel
SEN Staffing for every type of school
We carefully match schools with all types of SEN teachers and support staff.
Find educatorsTraining & CPD for SEN educators
We equip educators with the right skills through our CPD Academy.

Rewarding jobs supporting SEN children
Find a role that changes lives.
View SEN jobsSign up to posts
Related jobs
Salary
£23 - 28 per hour
Location free text
Chester
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
£20 - £29 per hour
Sector
Tutor/Intervention
Location
Cheshire
Description
Engaging and Supportive Learning Mentors Required in the Chester Area.Here at TP Tutors (Part of Teaching Personnel) we believe in every child’s right to a quality education. As such, we are looking f
Reference
RVCH1LM03/07
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
North TuitionAuthor
North TuitionSalary
£26 - 32 per hour
Location free text
St Helens
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
£20 - £29 per hour
Sector
Tutor/Intervention
Location
St Helens
Description
Take Control of your Education Career with TP Tutors Are you an educator looking for a better work/life balance and a more manageable workload? Do you want to make a real impact on young people's live
Reference
RVWA10QTS03/07
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
North TuitionAuthor
North TuitionSalary
£13.51 - 19.71 per hour
Location free text
Manchester
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Manchester
Description
The Role:As a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA), you will work closely with the class teacher to support the delivery of lessons across various subjects. Your primary focus will be to offer tailo
Reference
M40 HLTA
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Manchester South PrimaryAuthor
Manchester South PrimarySalary
£89.38 - 100.00 per day
Location free text
Chorley
Job Type
Part Time
Salary
Less than £100 per day
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Lancashire
Description
Full-Time Site Supervisor – Secondary School in ChorleyWe are seeking a reliable, proactive, and skilled Site Supervisor to join our dedicated team at a thriving secondary scho
Reference
0307SSPR7
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Lancashire SecondaryAuthor
Lancashire SecondarySalary
£80 - 105 per day
Location free text
West Kensington
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
Less than £100 per day
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Primary SEN Support
Location
Greater London
Description
Job Title: SEN Teaching Assistant (TA)Start: Immediate/ SeptemberLocation: London (W14)Contract Type: Full time, Part time, temp to permDate Posted: 03/07/2025Pay rate: Pay to scaleAbout Role: Do yo
Reference
SEN (TA)
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Salary
£40,766 - 52,288 per year + SEN Allowance
Location free text
Southwark
Job Type
Permanent
Salary
£200 - £299 per day
£300 - £399 per day
Sector
Special Needs
Location
Southwark
Description
SENCO Job Title: SENCO Location: SouthwarkStart Date: September 2025Job Type: Full Time, PermanentSalary: £40,766 - £52,288 + SEN AllowanceAn amazing opportunity for a dedicated and passionate SENCO
Reference
SENCO- Southwark
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Salary
£170 - 250 per day
Location free text
London
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
£200 - £299 per day
Sector
Teacher
Location
London
Description
KS2 TeacherLocation: LondonSector: PrimaryJob Type: Full TimeSalary: Pay to scale (dependent on experience)Starts: Immediate/ September 2025Are you looking to expand your experience in the Primary sec
Reference
KS2(CS)
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Salary
£25 - 30 per hour
Location free text
Sunderland
Job Type
Part Time
Salary
£20 - £29 per hour
Sector
Teacher
Location
Tyne and Wear
Description
Do you have a strong knowledge of the Maths Curriculum? Are you interested in becoming a 1-1 tutor with flexible working hours?At TP Tutors we have an exciting opportunity to provide children with the
Reference
EPSUTU25
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
North East TuitionAuthor
North East TuitionSalary
£140 - 260 per day
Location free text
Mitcham
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
£20 - £29 per hour
£30 per hour and above
Sector
Autism
Location
Greater London
Description
Are you passionate about working with children or considering a career change into a different kind of teaching?If so, we have an exciting opportunity within a very welcoming and friendly school in Mi
Reference
SpEN Teach
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Wimbledon BranchAuthor
Wimbledon BranchSalary
£89.38 - 100.00 per day
Location free text
Levenshulme
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Greater Manchester
Description
Science Graduate Teaching Assistant – Secondary School (Levenshulme) Start Date: September 2025 | Full-Time | Daily Rate: £89 – £100Are you a recent Science graduate looking to gain experience in educ
Reference
02465321321561
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Manchester South SecondaryAuthor
Manchester South SecondaryRelated posts

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD07YY
Summary
In December 2024, the government announced new specialist places in mainstream schools to better support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Yet, staff shortages limit s

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD06YY
Summary
Recent statistics highlight gaps in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) training and support for educators. The government wants more SEND pupils in mainstream schools. At the same t

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD06YY
Summary
In 2024, the National Audit Office (NAO) highlighted the crisis in the SEND system, noting limited progress in making mainstream schools more inclusive. Without further investment and changes, t

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD06YY
Summary
How to navigate SEND funding for 2025-26 As government funding for special education needs and disabilities (SEND) evolves, schools face critical challenges securing essential resources. Sch

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD06YY
Summary
Unpacking SEND reform: Where are we now and what’s coming next? A rapid rise in pupils diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, social, emotional, and mental health needs (including ADHD), as

Teaser
Education NewsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD05YY
Summary
What do schools need to know this term? Change is constant in the education sector, and this term is no different. From Ofsted and pay reviews, to structural shifts like RISE and curriculum refo
by
Zuzana Vrtalova

Teaser
Tips and AdviceContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD03YY
Summary
The True Worth of Professional Exam Invigilation When schools and colleges across England and Wales prepare for examination periods, the pressure to maintain JCQ compliance while ensuring fair ass
by
Zuzana Vrtalova

Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD03YY
Summary
With the Easter break and end of term coming up, it’s time to get your payroll sorted! Our Payroll team has outlined the key dates you need to ensure you receive your pay on time. Check out the ta
by
Zuzana Vrtalova

Teaser
Special Educational NeedsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD03YY
Summary
The landscape of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is transforming. The number of pupils in the UK with special educational needs (SEN) has increased over the last five years. Toda
by
Adam Davies

Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD02YY
Summary
As Spring approaches, it's a critical date for many teachers in the UK who may be contemplating their professional future ahead of the February 28th resignation deadline. While teaching remains on
by
Adam Davies
Register with us
for a choice of classroom roles
Register today
Recent job