Unfiltered Autistic with Amanda McGuinness

ACCESS THE FREE AUTISM CLASS RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://www.flourishautismconsultancyandtraining.com/autism-class-support
Welcome to Inside the Autism Classroom, a brand-new six-part podcast series on The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, co-hosted by Amanda McGuinness, Autism & PDA Specialist, and Elaine Fitzgerald, experienced Autism Class teacher.
Created specifically for Autism Class teachers, this is the first podcast series of its kind dedicated to supporting educators with the practical realities of teaching in an Autism Class through a neuroaffirmative, evidence-informed lens.
Whether you're preparing to open your very first Autism Class or looking to strengthen your existing practice, this series combines professional expertise, lived experience, and practical classroom insight to support you every step of the way.
Across six episodes, we explore:
Planning your Autism Class
Regulation & Co-regulation
Working Together: Collaborating with Parents, SNAs and School Teams
Target Setting & Teaching Approaches
Training, Professional Learning & Resources
Assessment Challenges & Adaptations
Alongside the series, you'll gain access to our FREE Autism Class Resource Library, co-designed by Amanda and Elaine, featuring practical downloads, templates, classroom resources, and tools to support your teaching journey. The library forms part of Flourish Autism Consultancy & Training's commitment to providing evidence-informed, neuroaffirmative resources that strengthen inclusive educational practice.
If you're an Autism Class teacher, Special Needs Assistant (SNA), school leader, student teacher, or education professional, we hope this series becomes a trusted resource that supports you in creating classrooms where Autistic pupils feel safe, understood, and able to flourish.
Subscribe to The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast and join us for practical conversations that bridge research, lived experience, and everyday classroom practice.

ACCESS FREE AUTISM CLASS RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://www.flourishautismconsultancyandtraining.com/autism-class-supportEpisode 6: Assessment Challenges & Adaptations
Every Autistic learner deserves assessment that recognises their strengths, honours their communication, and accurately reflects what they know and can do.
In the final episode of Inside the Autism Classroom, Amanda McGuinness and experienced Autism Class teacher Elaine Fitzgerald explore one of the most challenging aspects of Autism Class teaching: assessment. Together, they examine the limitations of traditional assessment methods and discuss how teachers can adapt their practice to better recognise the strengths, abilities, and learning of Autistic pupils.
Designed for Autism Class teachers, SNAs, and education professionals, this practical conversation explores the realities of assessing children whose communication, regulation, sensory processing, or learning profiles may not be accurately represented through conventional assessment tools. Amanda and Elaine discuss why meaningful assessment should move beyond compliance and performance, focusing instead on authentic participation, teacher observation, and understanding each child's unique profile.
Elaine shares her experiences of using practical assessment approaches, including checklists, ongoing teacher observation, adapted literacy assessments, and creative ways to gather meaningful evidence of progress. The discussion also examines the need for more accessible, technology-based assessment tools that better reflect the strengths of many Autistic learners and reduce unnecessary barriers to participation.
Throughout the episode, Amanda and Elaine encourage teachers to remain curious, reflective, and flexible, recognising that assessment should guide teaching rather than define a child's potential. They also discuss the importance of advocating for appropriate resources, collaborating with multidisciplinary professionals, and ensuring that assessment always supports learning, wellbeing, and meaningful educational planning.
Whether you are new to an Autism Class or looking to strengthen your assessment practice, this episode offers practical ideas, honest reflections, and evidence-informed guidance to help you assess learning in ways that are strengths-based, neuroaffirmative, and truly centred on the individual Autistic learner.
Key topics include:
Assessment in Autism Classes

Strengths-based assessment approaches

Teacher observation and practical evidence gathering

Adapting literacy and classroom assessments

Checklists and meaningful progress monitoring

Technology and accessible assessment tools

Neuroaffirmative educational assessment

Individualised planning for Autistic learners

Working alongside multidisciplinary professionals

Practical strategies for Autism Class teachers

ACCESS FREE AUTISM CLASS RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://www.flourishautismconsultancyandtraining.com/autism-class-support
Episode 5: Training, Professional Learning & Resources
Great Autism Class teaching doesn't happen by chance. It is built through continuous learning, reflection, collaboration, and a commitment to evidence-informed, neuroaffirmative practice.
In Episode 5 of Inside the Autism Classroom, Amanda McGuinness and experienced Autism Class teacher Elaine Fitzgerald explore the professional learning opportunities, training pathways, and practical resources that have shaped their own practice and continue to support Autism Class teachers throughout their careers.
Designed for new and experienced Autism Class teachers, SNAs, and education professionals, this episode provides an honest discussion about where to begin your professional learning journey, from introductory Autism training to postgraduate study and ongoing professional development. Elaine shares her experience of completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Autism Studies, while discussing the value of NCSE courses, Middletown Centre for Autism, classroom observation, mentoring, and learning alongside experienced colleagues.
Amanda and Elaine also reflect on the importance of seeking contemporary, neuroaffirmative training that is grounded in current Autism research, lived experience, and practical classroom application. Together they discuss why reflective practice, professional curiosity, and lifelong learning are essential for creating inclusive, strengths-based Autism Class environments.
Alongside recommended training providers and professional networks, the conversation highlights practical classroom resources, evidence-informed books, and trusted organisations that can help teachers build confidence while developing a deeper understanding of communication, regulation, sensory differences, and responsive teaching approaches.
Whether you are preparing to teach in your first Autism Class or looking to continue developing your professional practice, this episode offers practical recommendations, trusted resources, and evidence-informed guidance to support your journey as an Autism Class teacher.
Key topics include:
Autism training for new Autism Class teachers
NCSE professional learning opportunities
Middletown Centre for Autism resources
Postgraduate study in Autism education
Neuroaffirmative professional development
Classroom observation and mentoring
Recommended Autism books and classroom resources
Reflective practice and lifelong professional learning
Evidence-informed organisations and professional networks
Practical guidance for continuing your Autism education journey

ACCESS FREE AUTISM CLASS RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://www.flourishautismconsultancyandtraining.com/autism-class-support
Episode 4: Target Setting & Teaching Approaches
Meaningful learning begins by understanding the child, not by following a programme.
In Episode 4 of Inside the Autism Classroom, Amanda McGuinness and experienced Autism Class teacher Elaine Fitzgerald explore how to create meaningful, individualised learning experiences through strengths-based target setting and neuroaffirmative teaching approaches. Designed for Autism Class teachers, SNAs, and education professionals, this practical conversation focuses on planning that is responsive to each child's unique profile, interests, communication, and regulation needs.
Drawing on Elaine's classroom experience, the episode explores how thematic teaching can transform learning by using children's interests as the foundation for literacy, numeracy, communication, play, and wider curriculum experiences. Amanda and Elaine discuss why planning should remain flexible, relationship-centred, and regulation-first, while ensuring every learner can meaningfully access the curriculum.
The conversation introduces Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a practical framework for Autism Classes, exploring how offering multiple ways to engage, learn, communicate, and demonstrate understanding creates more accessible learning environments. Elaine also shares how she uses videos, music, movement, sensory experiences, creative activities, and technology, including AI, to develop engaging classroom themes and teaching ideas.
Amanda and Elaine also examine how to develop meaningful Student Support Plans that move beyond deficit-based thinking. Together they discuss collaborating with parents to identify priorities, writing strengths-based targets that reflect each child's individuality, and recognising that life skills, communication, emotional wellbeing, autonomy, and participation are just as important as academic achievement. Throughout the episode, they encourage educators to use language that reflects possibility, dignity, and respect while building educational goals that genuinely matter to children and their families.
Whether you are planning your first Autism Class or looking to strengthen your teaching practice, this episode provides practical ideas, evidence-informed guidance, and reflective discussion to help create learning experiences that are flexible, engaging, and truly centred on the individual Autistic learner.
Key topics include:
Individualised target setting for Autistic learners
Thematic teaching and interest-based learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Strengths-based Student Support Plans
Collaborating with parents on educational goals
Neuroaffirmative teaching approaches
Using videos, music, play, and sensory experiences to support learning
Flexible curriculum planning
Life skills, communication, and participation-focused teaching
Practical strategies for Autism Class teachers

ACCESS FREE AUTISM CLASS RESOURCE LIBRARY: https://www.flourishautismconsultancyandtraining.com/autism-class-support
Episode 3: Working Together
Supporting Autistic pupils is never the responsibility of one person. It is built through collaboration, trust, and shared understanding.
In Episode 3 of Inside the Autism Classroom, Amanda McGuinness and experienced Autism Class teacher Elaine Fitzgerald explore how strong partnerships between Autism Class teachers, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), mainstream teachers, school leaders, parents, and multidisciplinary professionals create the conditions for Autistic learners to feel safe, understood, and able to participate meaningfully in school life.
Designed for Autism Class teachers, SNAs, school leaders, and education professionals, this episode examines why successful Autism Classes are shaped by the culture of the whole school, not simply what happens inside one classroom. Amanda and Elaine discuss how leadership influences inclusion, why professional learning matters at every level of a school, and how a shared neuroaffirmative ethos strengthens outcomes for both pupils and staff.
Drawing upon Elaine's classroom experience and Amanda's professional expertise and lived experience as an Autistic adult and parent, the conversation explores practical ways to build positive relationships with mainstream teachers, encourage meaningful inclusion opportunities, and create confidence among colleagues who may have little previous experience of supporting Autistic pupils.
The episode also highlights the invaluable contribution of Special Needs Assistants, recognising that collaborative teamwork, shared reflection, and consistent communication create calmer, more predictable learning environments. Amanda and Elaine discuss how valuing every member of the classroom team strengthens co-regulation, improves consistency, and ultimately benefits every child.
Listeners will also hear an honest discussion about working alongside families. Amanda and Elaine explore why parents should be recognised as equal partners in decision making, how strengths-based communication builds trust, and why listening to family expertise is essential when developing meaningful educational supports. They also examine the realities of working with multidisciplinary professionals, acknowledging the challenges many schools face while offering practical strategies for building productive relationships with therapists and external agencies.
The conversation concludes by exploring the power of school culture, reverse inclusion, relationship-centred practice, and shared responsibility. Rather than viewing inclusion as the responsibility of one classroom, Amanda and Elaine demonstrate how whole-school collaboration creates environments where Autistic pupils experience genuine belonging, participation, and respect.
Whether you are establishing a new Autism Class, leading an existing team, or looking to strengthen collaborative practice within your school, this episode offers practical advice, reflective discussion, and evidence-informed guidance for building partnerships that place Autistic pupils at the centre of every decision.
Key topics include:
Building collaborative Autism Class teams
Working effectively with Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)
Supporting mainstream teachers and inclusive school practice
The role of school leaders and whole-school culture
Building positive partnerships with parents
Working alongside multidisciplinary professionals
Meaningful mainstream inclusion and reverse inclusion
Strengths-based communication and relationship-centred practice
Creating consistency across home, school, and support services
Practical neuroaffirmative approaches to collaborative working