Liverpool City Council

04/18/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/18/2024 03:15

Liverpool schools improving how they listen to pupils with autism

Liverpool City Council is celebrating an exciting project that is supporting the city's autistic young people.

The council has worked with partners, the Liverpool Parent Carer Forum and Alder Hey as part of the national 'Autism in Schools' Project.

Liverpool City Council is encouraging school pupils with autism to share their views and experiences with their teachers. This new initiative has been designed to improve knowledge and understanding of autism.

This person-centred approach is not only improving inclusion within Liverpool's schools but is also helping teachers to better understand the challenges faced by students so that reasonable adjustments can be put in place.

Pupil Voice Project

As part of the project, the council has been working with a group of autistic young people from several schools to produce a video, which shows their lived experiences of being an autistic young person in a mainstream secondary school. The video will be used as a resource to educate staff and peers across schools and health services across Merseyside.

Celebration Event

The young people's work is being showcased at a celebration event taking place at the Liverpool Lighthouse in Anfield, Thursday 18 April.

The celebration will include the launch of the Pupil Voice Video, a presentation from partners and inspirational speeches from:

Special Olympics GB Athlete Kiera Byland. Kiera has autism and dyspraxia and has represented Tea, GB at the Special Olympics in Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi and has won six gold medals.

Also speaking is Kieran O'Connor, a neurodiverse young man who is currently studying at a mainstream post-16 college and has previously attended a mainstream secondary school. He is an autism advocate, trained in peer support as well as an aspiring chef.

Jenny Turnross, Director of Children and Young People's Services, said: "I am delighted Liverpool City Council has joined with partners to lead on such an important project. Listening to the lived experience of pupils and their families is crucial when increasing awareness and understanding of autism. Work like this allows professionals to gain invaluable insight to support all students more effectively and promote inclusive classrooms where every child can thrive."