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Drawing on research into autistic cognition, this three-hour interactive workshop will explore memory, attention and learning and what these can mean in everyday social work and social care practice. We will consider, for example, why recalling and communicating experiences can sometimes be difficult, how attention and switching can affect interactions and transitions, and how different ways of learning may influence engagement with support.

DATE: Tuesday 9 February 2027

TIME: 10am-1pm

PRICE: £60 per person or Buy 5 Get 1 Free for £300 (6 tickets)

Online via MS Teams

TARGETED AT: Social workers, social care practitioners and other professionals working with autistic adults or young people.

Speaker: Dr Sophie Anns, Associate Professor of Psychology

Autism training often focuses on familiar inclusive practices: using clear communication, providing predictability, making sensory adjustments and allowing additional processing time. These approaches can be valuable, but understanding why they may help can enable practitioners to move beyond a checklist and make more thoughtful, individualised decisions about what an autistic person might need in a particular situation.

Drawing on research into autistic cognition, this three-hour interactive workshop will explore memory, attention and learning and what these can mean in everyday social work and social care practice. We will consider, for example, why recalling and communicating experiences can sometimes be difficult, how attention and switching can affect interactions and transitions, and how different ways of learning may influence engagement with support.

Participants will take part in practical activities to explore some of these processes themselves and will try structured and visual techniques for supporting recall of complex or difficult events. We will also use scenarios and discussion to identify where everyday professional practices may inadvertently create additional cognitive demands and consider how these could be adapted.

The aim is to give participants not simply a set of autism-friendly strategies, but a better understanding of the psychology behind inclusive practice, enabling them to apply these principles flexibly in their own work.

We will email you the access link to this workshop, and instructions on how to join, few days before the workshop scheduled date. All attendees will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the workshop.

If you are booking for multiple attendees, or on behalf of someone else, please email us at socialchangehub@sussex.ac.uk to let us know the names of the attendees.

For enquiries, please contact us at socialchangehub@sussex.ac.uk.

By purchasing the ticket, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and cancellation policy. Please read out terms and conditions and cancellation policy on Sussex Social Change Hub website.