The Girls Who Are Too Often Missed
Training for educators
Identifying and Supporting Autistic Girls.
Autistic girls are significantly under-identified in education settings, primarily due to a lack of understanding of how their autism can present differently from autistic boys. Consequently, they struggle silently and miss out on the vital support they need to thrive. Their needs are unmet, creating barriers to learning and poor mental health outcomes.
Too often, conversations between parents and teachers are futile and precious time is wasted.
“She’s Coping” Doesn’t Mean She’s OK.
When schools understand masking and hidden needs, girls are more likely to receive the right support, feel safer in school, and develop confidence in who they are.
We believe no girl should have to struggle silently to succeed.
Our expert-led training equips teachers, SENCOs, pastoral teams, and school leaders with the knowledge and practical tools needed to recognise and support autistic girls effectively.
Participants will learn:
- Why autistic girls are frequently overlooked.
- To identify masking and social exhaustion and how these affect learning.
- To recognise the unique presentation of autism in girls-key indicators at different age groups.
- Strategies for inclusive teaching and pastoral support.
- How to build neurodiversity-affirming school environments.
Suitable for primary, secondary, higher education and specialist settings
Together, we can create educational environments where autistic girls are recognised earlier, supported appropriately, and empowered to flourish.
When educators understand autistic girls, lives can change.
A poem by Neurodiversity Now
“Good afternoon, Mum, thanks for meeting with me,
I have concerns about your daughter, you see.
She’s not like the others I’m teaching this year,
She’s overly sensitive, bursts into tears
Over just about everything, silly old things,
Then she sticks to the classroom assistant and clings.
When we do group work she doesn’t engage,
And I don’t think she’s writing like children her age.
She has the same discussions again and again,
And have you seen the funny way she holds a pen?
She’s always the last to get dressed for PE,
And the last out for lunch, break and assembly.
And she always looks lost like she’s not really there,
She won’t answer her peers, she’s not very aware.
She won’t pay attention and listen in lesson,
She’s always preoccupied with her obsession.
She won’t eat much lunch and she can’t tie her shoes…
So tell me, Mum, what are you going to do?”
“Thank you Miss T, your report is fantastic!
It’s abundantly clear that my daughter’s Autistic.
The process will go smoothly if you share your view,
So I’ll need that in writing – an email will do.
As for support it’s so easy to see,
Most of her mentioned needs are sensory.
The tears are caused by overload and frustration,
The writing and pen grip are proprioception.
The same can be said for her shoes and her dressing,
And as for the group work, it’s very distressing!
Lunch is a barrage of sights smells and sounds,
It’s so hard to eat with all of that around.
She shuts herself down out of self preservation,
She needs to be provided with regulation –
Sensory items and regular breaks,
If she can’t eat lunch you should let her have shakes.
She needs support from an adult she can trust,
In tasks where she struggles she shouldn’t be rushed.
If school can’t provide these adjustments, Miss T,
We’ll have to apply for an EHCP.”
Testimonials
An extremely informative workshop, with two lovely ladies who are obviously very passionate about this subject. My daughter, aged 17, has just been diagnosed with Aspergers, but with the information I gained from this workshop, she could have been diagnosed much earlier. I felt I came out of this workshop with so much valuable information. Thank you.
I found this session really useful and interesting and I came away feeling that I had gained a lot of useful insight. The session leaders were great and there was a good mix of personal and professional experiences.
What an inspirational lady Lorraine is. Your children and school are very lucky to have her.
Thanks for a great evening. It was really informative and I picked up some really useful tips and strategies to share with teachers.
