ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to draw together some of the themes that have recurred throughout the chapters of this book. Its purpose is to begin to conceptualise a way of teaching and learning that is most likely to be effective in autism. It is important to stress that what follows is a collection of ideas that are derived from the practical examples, and the reflections upon them, provided by contributing authors to this book. This chapter does not claim to offer a definition of a pedagogy suitable for individuals with autism. Rather, it suggests that there are some common ideas in the way in which fellow authors go about their practical work in autism and that these may usefully be collected into a set of notions about how to establish an effective relationship between teaching, learning and autism. The collection of ideas is therefore the start of a ‘bottom-up’ approach to a notion of an effective pedagogy rather than a ‘top-down’ approach that might be based on an inclusive psychological description of learning needs in autism. In short, the sections below are not intended to be an exhaustive set of principles nor are they necessarily mutually exclusive — there are undoubtedly other equally significant aspects of any effective approach and some of the ideas expressed below do overlap.
