Let’s Learn

About Autism
Lesson Plans
For 8-11-year-olds

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acceptance at Autism
Acceptance Week 2023!
 Lesson plans: Let’s Learn About Autism

Session title: Let’s Learn About Autism

Session lengths: 35 minutes, 50 minutes or 1hr 30 minutes

Audience: Primary (8-11)

1. For pupils to have a starting

knowledge of autism.
2. For pupils to understand that everyone
Objectives
is different and that different is good.
3. For pupils to understand how they can
be a supportive friend/classmate.

2 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 1

Time Introduction Points to consider

Up to This presentation is an introduction to autism. Very important: Read
5 minutes Present the frst three slides: the ‘Things to consider
before you deliver
Slide 1: We are all different
Autism Acceptance
Slide 2: People are different
resources’ before you
Slide 3: Brains are different
begin this presentation.

Time Introducing the concept of difference Points to consider

5 minutes Slide 5: Play the video the frst 1min31 Another question could
seconds be, does anyone know
of ‘Amazing things can happen’: someone who is autistic?
https://www.youtube.com/
If you have a pupil in your
watch?v=RbwRrVw-CRo
class who is comfortable
Talking prompts: People see the world in and who you have
different ways. All brains work differently. approached before the
Does anyone know what autism is? session, they can share
their experiences.
After a few responses, play the video
up until 2mins14. 2.14 – 2:45.

Slide 6: Talking prompts: You can’t see if

someone is autistic. It is an invisible condition.
Autism means that someone’s brain works a
little differently. Just like it says in the video,
each autistic person is different. They have
different strengths and different diffculties.

Slide 7: Autism - the differences

3 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 1

Time Discussing difference Points to consider

10 minutes Slide 8: Talking prompts: Talk about the
differences between yourself and other
staff (or fctional characters… My friend
X), focusing frst on likes and dislikes.

e.g. I really enjoy Maths but Miss Smith

doesn’t. Miss Smith is really good at drawing.
I fnd drawing hard. I really like listening
to pop music. Mr Jones likes jazz music.

Slide 9: Start to move towards differences

in sensory needs, communication
and social interaction.

e.g. Mrs Brown loves the smell of lunch. The smell

of lunch makes me feel funny. Mrs Brown likes
to have really colourful display boards. Really
colourful display boards make my eyes hurt.
Mrs Brown loves to wear woolly jumpers. I fnd
woolly jumpers so itchy. They hurt my skin.
Mrs Brown loves to chat on the bus. I can’t
chat on the bus. It is already too noisy.

If you have time and it feels appropriate,

ask the children to talk in pairs or groups
about what they like or how they feel.

You could use the examples above. Or you could

use colours, animals, sports, lessons or weather.

Ask a few to share back their answers

and see how they were different to
their partner or group members.

Talking prompts: Lots of you had different

answers there. You all like and dislike
different things. We think difference is good.
It wouldn’t be fun if we were all the same!

4 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 1

Time Discussing difference Points to consider

Up to We are now going to think about our The worksheet has
15 minutes differences a bit more. examples for the pupils
We are going to write or draw about to use. Where possible,
our feelings and our skills. encourage them to
think of their own.
Talking prompts: What makes you happy?
What do you do when you’re happy? Once Children can write or
you have had a few responses, ask them draw. Please emphasise
each to draw their answer in the box on that whatever they draw
the worksheet. Again, emphasise that would express their views
everyone’s answer can or will be different. and so they don’t need
to worry about being
You have around 5 minutes per question and
‘good’ at drawing.
for the pupils to write or draw their responses.

What makes you sad? What do you do when

you’re sad? What is the thing you are best at?

Once they have written or drawn their

answers for the three prompt questions,
fnish up the activity by reiterating the
importance and value of difference.

Talking prompts: We need different skills. We

need different strengths. That’s what helps
teams work.

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

5 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 2

Time Introduction Points to consider

Up to Slide 11: To take the lesson further, or for a
5 minutes second lesson, turn to thinking about how
being different at school can be diffcult.

• We know that difference is great,

but sometimes it can be hard when
you think differently.
• It can make you worried about
making friends.
• It can be hard if you don’t like the same
things as other people.
• It can make you feel like no-one wants
to play with you.

Slide 12: Amazing things can happen:

3:23 onwards talks about how people
can support autistic friends.

6 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 2

Time Introduction Points to consider

Up to Slide 12: Ask the children: If this activity is being
10 minutes How can we be better classmates? done straight after the
activity on differences,
Talking prompts:
the pupils will understand
How can we support each other?
how the worksheet
How can we support our autistic classmates?
works. If there is a gap
How can we celebrate the fact that
between lessons, remind
everyone has different likes and dislikes?
them that they can draw
If you have an autistic person who has said or write in the worksheet.
they’re happy to be involved, you can ask
them to talk about the way they see the
world. You can ask them to share how they
would like to be supported by their friends.

Once you have had a few responses, ask them

each to write or draw their answer in the box
on the worksheet. Again, emphasise that
everyone’s answer can or will be different.

Display idea: Use the young people’s

worksheets and create
a display about valuing difference and being
supportive.

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

7 Lesson Plans for 8-11-year-olds

 Lesson plans Section 3

Time Introduction Points to consider

Up to Slide 13-16: The Autistic Young Expert’s panel Refer to the Learning
40 minutes have come up with the following four learning Scenarios on the Idea
scenarios based on their experiences at school. Pad worksheet.
These scenarios should be used to promote
discussion, and support pupils in working out
how to be inclusive. The suggested answers
are not exhaustive but are the start of a
conversation. No pupil should be made to feel
that they are giving the wrong answer but
should be supported to explore their ideas.

These scenarios could be used as part of a

follow-up discussion to the frst two activities.
They could also be returned to whenever there
is a situation in which classmates aren’t being
supportive of one another as a reminder.

• You could split the class into

smaller groups and give them each
a scenario to work through

• You could tackle one scenario at a time

as a whole class and ask for pupils to
answer the questions individually

• You could use the scenarios as role-plays and

ask pupils to act out how they would respond
or react

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

8 Lesson Plans for 8-11 year olds

Join the National Autistic Society for a colourful week
of fundraising!
World Autism Acceptance Week is back from
27 March – 2 April 2023!
The theme for 2023 is colour, and the NAS has a new
virtual challenge, the Spectrum Colour Challenge; a new
in-person event, the Spectrum Colour Walks; and lots of
ideas to get your fundraising off to a colourful start.
For more information on autism and education, visit:
www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk

Autism Education Trust

393 City Road
London
EC1 VNG, UK
e: [email protected]

Join us to share knowledge and

acceptance at Autism
Acceptance Week 2023!