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Autism | Supporting learner success

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Event description

Explore effective strategies for working with autistic learners.

Workshop outline

This workshop is offered by Ako Aotearoa in partnership with Altogether Autism.

Drawing on survey data from autistic tertiary learners and their whānau, as well as published research, Altogether Autism, supported by the Tertiary Education Commission, has created new guidelines to help tertiary educators better support their autistic learners. 

This workshop will use the guidelines to help participants develop a deeper understanding of the specific challenges autistic tertiary learners face, and explore strategies that can support autistic learners to have a more positive tertiary experience.

Topics covered

  • What is autism?
  • Challenges faced by autistic learners: Communication, executive function, mental health, self-advocacy, sensory experiences and social interactions.
  • Strategies for working with autistic learners.

About the facilitator

Rachael Wiltshire is an Advisor at Altogether Autism. She found out she was autistic when she was 12 and has been passionate about supporting other autistic people ever since. This passion has seen her present at the Altogether Autism conferences in 2015 and 2017, and at the Aspect Autism in Education conference in Brisbane in 2018. She has been a member of Altogether Autism’s Consumer Advisory Panel since 2020.

Rachael completed her Bachelor of Creativity in Commercial Dance at Te Auaha in 2021, and currently dances at events around Wellington with Society Event Entertainment. When she is not dancing, you can find her working as a Visitor Services Host at Te Papa and Capital E. She is especially passionate about education, and regularly tutors NCEA students.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this workshop participants will:

  • understand some of the challenges autistic learners face in the tertiary education environment, and why these challenges occur
  • be aware of strategies they can use in their teaching practice to mitigate some of these challenges.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for anyone who works with autistic learners and would like to learn how to support them better.

Read more about the neurodiversity courses on offer from Ako Aotearoa

Ako Aotearoa badges

Participants can earn an Ako Aotearoa digital badge as evidence of participation and completion of workshop requirements.

Billing information

We accept payments by card or by invoice. At checkout you will be able to choose your payment option. Invoices are raised by Massey University on behalf of Ako Aotearoa so please note that there will be a delay between registering for the event and receiving the invoice.  

If you would like to pay by invoice, before registering, please find out from your finance team:

  • the billing address and the email address you would like the invoice sent to
  • whether or not you require a purchase number, if a purchase order number is required, please email accounts@ako.ac.nz after registering with the order number in the subject line.

Please read these Terms and Conditions before you register.


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Refund policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event. The booking fee is nonrefundable.