A three-month programme supporting parents between diagnosis and school placement. It provides group training and home visits to help them understand their child’s autism, set up interactions in which communication can develop and pre-empt or handle problem behaviours. The aim is to help parents establish good practice in handling their child, drawing on a number of approaches, including TEACCH (see below).

TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autism and related Communication Handicapped Children) A framework for teaching founded on the belief that autistic children need structure and clear visual clues. Children’s teaching is individualised and daily routines are timetabled.

Lovaas

This home-based behavioural approach is named after Ivor Lovaas, who developed it in the United States. It focuses on teaching skills and reducing undesired behaviour. Some education authorities help families with funding to attend training for the programme.

Daily Life TherapyHigashi

This is used in schools in Japan and the US. The emphasis is on intensive physical, emotional and intellectual work, all done in groups. Inappropriate behaviour is rigorously controlled.

A number of local authorities help fund children attending the Boston Higashi school.