Pathways

As an Autism Specialist Mentor, I offer a personalised pathway of support for the young people I work with.

Below, I have outlined example pathways of support based on different autistic profiles, support needs and circumstances.

Please note that the pathways I have outlined are designed to be broadly representative of the support I can provide for the autistic young person and their families. There will be a number of factors that go into the pathway that we outline for your young person, including financial considerations.

It is important to me that the work I carry out is financially accessible. I offer a sliding scale for families from low-income households and I am very much open to discussing a pricing plan that works for you.

More information on pricing can be found here.

• High-masking autistic young person
• Academically able
• Increase in anxiety following transition to secondary school
• School non-attendance and autistic burnout
• Frequent cognitive and verbal shutdown
• Is a situational non-speaker
• Would like to engage in online mentoring

Suggested Pathway

Initial Parent/Carer Consultation	Discuss the strengths and challenges of the young person. Identify possible areas of support and/or desired outcomes. Ascertain whether young person is able to access online mentoring. If yes, see: initial contact with young person. If no, we can explore coaching and advice for parents/carers.
Initial Contact with Young Person	Young person will receive an introduction via email, introducing myself and outlining what our sessions may look like. Some young people may be comfortable beginning mentoring sessions via Zoom/Google Meets straight away. Others may need a period of time making contact via email.
Introductory Session	I will meet with the young person for an introductory session. During this session, we will look at communication preferences and (if appropriate) identify areas in which the young person is seeking support e.g. managing sensory challenges. Based on the views and wishes of both the parents/carers and the young person, I will write up a plan of suggested support.
1:1 Mentoring with Autistic Young Person	Based on preference, I will meet with the young person weekly or fortnightly for sessions of either 30 or 45 minutes. I can deliver a stand-alone session, or we can agree on a block of 4-6 sessions. We will use the whiteboard function on Zoom or Google Meet to explore different topics visually and collaboratively. Provided that the young person is comfortable, this co-produced work can be shared with parents/carers.
Review with Parents/Carers	If appropriate, we can arrange a review meeting in order to discuss the young person’s engagement with mentoring and the areas we have explored. Parents/carers will have the opportunity to discuss any areas of improvement or continued challenge, and either conclude mentoring support or put together a plan for the next cycle.

Example 2:

Young person profile

• Young person is generally doing well (both in school and at home)
• Would like to learn more about autism, autistic identity and neurodivergence
• Generally able to access online mentoring
• May benefit from support with executive functioning (e.g. planning and prioritising, time management, emotional regulation)
• May benefit from a piece of work on alexithymia and interoception (identifying internal body cues such as hunger and thirst, as well as feelings and emotions)
• May benefit from work unpicking social situations

Suggested Pathway

Initial Parent/Carer Consultation	Discuss the strengths and challenges of the young person. Identify possible areas of support and/or desired outcomes.
Initial Contact with Young Person	Young person will receive an introduction via email, introducing myself and outlining what our sessions may look like. Some young people may be comfortable beginning mentoring sessions via Zoom/Google Meets straight away. Others may need a period of time making contact via email.
Introductory Session	I will meet with the young person for an introductory session. During this session, we will look at communication preferences and (if appropriate) identify areas in which the young person is seeking support e.g. managing sensory challenges. Based on the views and wishes of both the parents/carers and the young person, I will write up a plan of suggested support.
1:1 Mentoring with Autistic Young Person	Based on preference, I will meet with the young person weekly or fortnightly for sessions of either 30 or 45 minutes. I can deliver a stand-alone session, or we can agree on a block of 4-6 sessions. We will use the whiteboard function on Zoom or Google Meet to explore different topics visually and collaboratively. Provided that the young person is comfortable, this co-produced work can be shared with parents/carers.
Review with Parents/Carers	If appropriate, we can arrange a review meeting in order to discuss the young person’s engagement with mentoring and the areas we have explored. Parents/carers will have the opportunity to discuss any areas of improvement or continued challenge, and either conclude mentoring support or put together a plan for the next cycle.

Example 3:

Young person profile

• Highly anxious
• Not currently able to access online mentoring
• Requiring support in any of the following areas: understanding sensory differences, managing anxiety as an autistic young person, understanding and recognising internal body cues, managing dysregulation, and so on.

Suggested Pathway

Initial Parent/Carer Consultation	Discuss the strengths and challenges of the young person. Identify possible areas of support and/or desired outcomes.
Initial Contact with Young Person	Young person will receive an introduction via email, introducing myself and the support I can offer. I may provide a questionnaire to get to know the young person better, or ask them to tell me about one of their interests. I will use this to inform the support plan that I write up and share with parents/carers.
Coaching and Advice for Parents/Carers of Autistic Young People	You may decide that you would like to continue coaching and advice sessions around the support needs of your young person. In these sessions, it is my intention to listen to your areas of concern, signpost you to difference services and resources, assist you in building your understanding of autism and neurodivergence, as well as suggest strategies you can use to support your autistic young person at home and in school.
Review with Parents/Carers	If appropriate, we can arrange a review meeting. Parents/carers will have the opportunity to discuss any areas of improvement or continued challenge, and either conclude our coaching and advice sessions, or put together a plan for the next cycle of support.