We designed this course for parents, carers, and health and educational professionals to deepen their understanding of autistic people with minimal speech. Our course focuses on improving the autistic person’s quality of life and abilities. We outline how to support these autistic individuals to develop greater independence in daily living skills, improve their communication abilities, learn alternative coping mechanisms for their stress and anxiety, express their emotions, and develop a positive self-identity. The content will be relevant to parents and professionals who care for autistic individuals over 6 years old; that is, beyond the early intervention years.
* Autistic people who have minimal speech refers to autistic people who have co-occurring intellectual disability and/or are non-speaking or minimally speaking, may have co-occurring health conditions (e.g., epilepsy), and require lifelong, around-the-clock care. In some research and service contexts, overlapping groups may be described using terms such as profound autism, high support needs, Level 3 or nonspeaking autism; terminology varies across communities and systems.