Gaynor Caldwell Autism Training
Flexible, bespoke autism training for every need
Engagement is at the heart of every session. You won’t just sit and listen—I’ll lead you through real-life case studies, hands-on activities, and group discussions that make the content stick. You’ll leave with actionable strategies that you can implement right away to improve your interactions and support.
What's different about my training?
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Customisable Content
The core of every session is a solid foundation in autism understanding, but the delivery is flexible. Whether you want to learn the basics of autism, train staff supporting autistic individuals, or dive deep into specific strategies, I can customise the content to meet your needs.
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Flexible Duration
I know that time constraints can be a challenge, so I offer flexibility in session length. Choose between a quick 1-hour introductory session, an in-depth 2-hour session, or a full-day program. No matter the length, the content will be relevant and practical for your audience.
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Tailored to You
Whether you’re a parent or grandparent seeking support for your child, a professional wanting to enhance your team’s understanding of autism, or a volunteer working with autistic individuals in community settings, my training adapts to the context of your role.
Commissioned Training Examples
Navigate Autism: Practical training for real-world impact
One day course - approx. 5 hours
Developed from the Skills for Care Autism Core Capabilities Framework and enriched with my own lived experience, this course offers a balanced approach, combining essential autism theory with practical, evidence-based strategies. Whether you’re looking for a solid grounding in autism or seeking advanced strategies, this course can be fully tailored to meet the specific needs of your team or group.
Tier 1: Introductory Autism Training
A comprehensive overview of autism, designed for those new to the topic. This session provides foundational knowledge and practical strategies for everyday situations.
Tier 2: Advanced Strategies for Greater Impact
This advanced course delves deeper into autism strategies, ideal for parents, care givers and professionals looking to enhance their skills and support more complex needs. You’ll learn how to apply tailored approaches in real-life settings to make a lasting difference.
What you’ll gain from this session
Tier 1: By the end of this session, you will:
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Understand the history of autism and key assessment pathways, enabling you to approach autism-related situations with context and insight.
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Be able to clearly explain autism and neurodiversity, recognizing key traits such as communication differences and sensory sensitivities.
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Adjust your communication style to meet the needs of individuals with autism, using tailored strategies to foster effective interactions.
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Confidently identify signs of sensory overload and under-stimulation, with actionable strategies to provide immediate support.
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Leave being able to apply new skills to help individuals navigate transitions and changes with greater ease and confidence.
Tier 2 elevates Tier 1 outcomes to shift the focus towards deeper knowledge, more advanced skills and higher levels of application.
By the end of the session:
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With more in depth knowledge, you will be able to critically analyse communication barriers, evaluate different approaches, and engage with autism-related concepts in a deeper, more informed manner in real-world settings.
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You will be able to proactively address sensory sensitivities in individuals with autism, and design strategies for individuals.
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You will be able to confidently differentiate between behaviours and challenges linked to autism and typical behaviours for individuals of various ages which will inform your actions.
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After examining the impact of mental health difficulties on autistic individuals, you will be equipped to identify appropriate support services and implement reassuring, effective strategies to support mental health needs.
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With a deeper understanding of how behaviour may indicate stress from various sources, you will confidently identify stress-related behaviours and implement tailored interventions to promote well-being.
Autism Explored: Practical insights and strategies
Unlock practical autism insights in just 2 hours
This session offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of autism and develop essential support skills. In just two hours, you’ll learn how to build stronger relationships with autistic individuals, gain practical strategies, and enhance your ability to respond to everyday challenges—all within a manageable timeframe.
A collaborative approach to autism
In this session, we’ll explore the key challenges autistic individuals face, including difficulty with routine, sensory sensitivities, and communication barriers. Through real-life examples and case studies, we’ll discuss how these traits manifest in everyday situations and share actionable strategies for supporting autistic individuals in both familiar and new environments. You’ll walk away with practical tools to help improve your interactions and make meaningful changes in the way you provide support.
Who will benefit from this session
This session is perfect for anyone who wants to enhance their understanding of autism and build better relationships with autistic individuals. It is especially useful for:
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Parents and Grandparents looking for practical strategies to support their children or loved ones.
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Carers and Personal Assistants wanting to learn effective ways to meet the needs of autistic individuals.
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Social Workers and Community Teams seeking better tools for supporting families and individuals within diverse settings.
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Volunteers wanting to understand autism more deeply and learn how to be supportive in community-based activities.
What you’ll gain from this session:
By the end of this session, you will walk away with:
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A deeper understanding of the core challenges autistic individuals face, such as sensory overload and communication difficulties.
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Learned actionable strategies to improve daily interactions and reduce misunderstandings.
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Greater confidence in supporting autistic individuals in various settings, including at home, in the workplace, and within community activities.
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A wealth of practical tools you can implement immediately to build stronger, more meaningful relationships with autistic individuals.
Autism Awareness: Breaking down the myths and building understanding
A unique one hour learning opportunity, followed by Q&A session
Join me for a transformative one-hour session that brings 25 years of real-world experience to help you truly understand autism and build stronger, more inclusive connections. Through a blend of personal insights and expert guidance, you'll gain practical skills to support and engage with autistic individuals in your community, workplace, or home.
This engaging, in-person talk offers a clear, accessible introduction to autism, designed to demystify this complex subject. Whether you’re a parent, a professional, or simply curious about autism, this session will provide you with easy-to-implement strategies for creating sensory-friendly spaces, enhancing communication, and supporting autistic individuals in daily life.
What you’ll gain from this session:
By the end of this session, you will walk away with:
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A deeper understanding of the challenges and strengths of individuals with autism.
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Proven, actionable strategies for creating sensory-friendly environments and improving communication.
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Increased confidence in your ability to engage inclusively, fostering a sense of belonging for everyone."
Who will benefit from this talk?
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Community centres, looking to enrich their family programs and create a more inclusive space for families impacted by autism.
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Cultural organisations aiming to better understand neurodiversity and engage with diverse members through inclusive programming.
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Local clubs, recreational groups, and volunteers who want to foster inclusive participation where everyone feels welcomed and valued.
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Religious and faith-based groups interested in deepening their empathy and creating supportive spaces for families affected by autism.
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Carer organisations providing peer support to families who want effective tools to better serve their communities.
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Ready to make your community more inclusive? Contact me today to book your session and start your journey toward greater understanding and meaningful connections with autistic individuals.
Training personal assistants (PAs) in autism and creating a person centred plan
The Story
In 1997, Direct Payments were introduced in England, under the banner of Self-directed Support; allowing people to ‘convert’ the care they or their child received into a Direct Payment. This budget could then be spent on employing your own staff. There was a lot of support around setting up in this new role as an employer so I wasn’t put off by the prospect.
At the time, care from agencies was so hit and miss with different people turning up and people arriving late, all a nightmare for both me and my autistic son, so I decided to give it a go. I have never looked back! I have been employing PAs for my son for the past 20 years. We have had a lot of wonderful people coming in and out of his life and his current care team consist of yoga teachers, personal trainers and even a professional cameraman!
Whilst being an employer has had its challenges the hardest and most time-consuming part was training the staff. I remember interviewing one person and asking what they knew about autism and they replied, ‘I know loads, I’ve watched Rainman three times’, well, it was a good place to start I guess. I always taught the PA’s about autism, I also put them on free training courses, but then I had to teach them just how what they had learned related to my son. Its ok to know that non speaking children struggle to communicate their needs but they needed to know how my son communicated, here in began my journey into providing training for PAs.
The Session
I can provide bespoke training for individual teams or your PA’s can join existing teams and learn in a broader group. When they leave the training they will have the start of a person centred plan to better be able to support the person their care for.
What we will cover:
The session will begin with a general overview of autism and explore some common myths, before I move on to guide your PA’s to be able to create the very best person centred care plan to be able to do their jobs to the very best of their ability. To create the bespoke care/support plan the topics we will cover will include:
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How to nurture two way communication and understand each other.
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How to manage transitions successfully.
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Exploring the sensory environment and the effects it may have on the individual.
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Keeping the person you support and yourself safe.
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Planning days out, and days at home.
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Supporting and establishing good routines.
The PAs will have a better understanding of how they need to know the autistic person well, and how to gather this information and put it into practice.
Private Coaching
The Story
I believe there is nothing quite like being able to have a frank discussion with someone who understands you. Peer support has always been important for me, I have left many a peer support group and said to my loved ones, ‘they really knew where I was coming from; ‘they got it’, ‘we are not the only people out there in this position’, ‘we are not alone’. Today, we know we are not alone as social media is full of confusing and conflicting advice. I combine my autism knowledge, life experience and professional work as a coach in England and Scotland to equip people with the practical skills and knowledge they need to navigate autism.
Whether you are trying to solve a difficulty, are coming to terms with a diagnosis, (or frustrated by a long assessment waiting list), looking for ways you can support the mental health of or communication with the autistic person or are a partner, spouse of an autistic person face to face coaching is available. Let’s talk it though and get equipped with some practical things we can try to help us resolve difficulties.
The Session
Let us start with one session, if it works for you we can arrange another. We can meet for the first time for an hour and half either face to face or online. We can speak one to one or you can invite someone else to join in the chat, please note that involving the autistic person is not advised.
We will meet in a suitable private venue and what we discuss will be confidential. It’s a simple as that. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, a partner, spouse or friend.
Training for activity and leisure support staff: Empowering your team to create inclusive, enjoyable environments
As a parent of an autistic child, I’ve experienced that all-too-familiar phone call: “Your child isn’t coping—please come and pick them up.” I vividly remember dropping my son off at youth clubs, only to get that call the moment I’d made it out of the car park. It’s a moment that many parents of a neurodivergent child dreads.
Having been on both sides—as a parent and as a professional delivering autism training—I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact that well-trained staff can have. It was in 2014, when I first delivered autism training to a youth group in Blackburn, Lancashire, after my son joined a Sunday morning session. What started as a personal mission to improve the experiences of families like mine has since blossomed into a passion for equipping others with the skills and understanding needed to truly make a difference.
Why this training matters
Whether they’re employed staff or volunteers, everyone in your team is committed to making a positive impact. However, this role can be incredibly rewarding and challenging—especially when navigating unexpected situations.
Over the years, I’ve continually refined my training, staying up to date with the latest insights and best practices. Yet, the core outcomes have always remained the same: helping staff and volunteers manage situations with confidence, ensuring that everyone involved has a good time and feels supported in the process.
What your team will learn:
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Understanding Communication Differences: Gain insight into why autistic individuals may struggle with both verbal and non-verbal communication and learn effective strategies to enhance communication in a way that works for everyone.
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Fostering Positive Social Interactions: Equip your team with techniques for encouraging turn-taking, sharing, and positive social actions that promote respectful, supportive group dynamics.
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Guiding Respect for Personal Space & Group Rules: Learn how to facilitate appropriate communication around personal space, group rules, and respectful interactions in a group setting.
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Conflict Resolution & Dispute Management: Discover methods for managing disagreements, helping participants resolve conflicts calmly through clear communication and empathetic support.
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Creating Sensory-Friendly Spaces: Learn practical strategies to adapt activities and environments to ensure they’re sensory-friendly, helping participants feel comfortable and fully engaged.
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De-escalation Techniques: Understand how to implement effective strategies to manage challenging situations, helping participants regain control and prevent escalation.
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Adapting Activities for Meaningful Participation: Discover how to modify tasks and structure activities to ensure every participant—regardless of ability—can contribute meaningfully without feeling overwhelmed.