The Autism Conference
with Richard Hirstwood, Chris Barson, Carol Allen, Bex Watton
and Matt Laurie.
We are announcing our fourth 2025 conference: a day focused on developing engaging learning, play, environments and resources for learners with neurodiverse learning needs.
Five impactful presentations will share strategies, ideas and resources to create an playful and engaging learning environment in your classroom.
Getting started with Self Regulation with Chris Barson
This practical and accessible session introduces the key concepts of self-regulation in autistic learners. Chris will guide you through understanding common regulation challenges, recognising autism-specific triggers, and exploring quick, practical strategies to promote calm and focus. You’ll also discover simple ways to adapt your classroom environment to better support regulation. This session will boost your confidence and provide ready-to-use resources to help you put strategies into practice straight away
The Principles of Play and the Play Cycle with Matt Laurie
This experiential session aims to introduce delegates to the fundamental principles of play and the elements of the play cycle developed by Perry Else and Gordon Sturrock. The session will begin with a short introduction and a three-stage improv game played in groups of 3 in breakout rooms. Following the game, we will reflect on the game through the lens of the principles of play and the language of the play cycle – cues, returns, frames and flow. The session will end with video examples demonstrating the concepts discussed.
‘If it’s fun, they will come: building intrinsic motivation in the classroom’ with Bex Watton
Bex explores how to make learning through play an irresistible activity in your classroom. By considering intrinsic motivation and how to harness its effect, you will more easily engage learners with autism in play. Bex will also look at planning for playful learning and how adapting our thinking/planning/teaching will create engaging and effective playscapes.
Autistic Play Audit: Are you enabling best practice? with Carol Allen
Play is essential for all children, and for autistic children, it can look slightly different but still offers the same benefits. By providing play opportunities, all children can explore, learn, experiment, validate, connect, communicate and develop self-expression whilst enjoying the chance for self-direction and, of course, fun! This session will look at how we can provide accessible opportunities for play that are truly child-led and engaging. Carol will cover resourcing, environment, sensory aspects and the role of staff in offering exciting and appropriate play activities.
Sensory Play Opportunities with Richard Hirstwood
How do we encourage engagement in play with the senses, recognise the importance of play, and what is sensory play? The transition from play to learning is essential, and learners who are autistic need to play to learn. Richard will share many practical ideas and insights into sensory play, focusing on ‘sensory on a shoestring’ ideas. These shoestring tools can be powerful motivators, attention-getters and, story-makers and more! This session will share easy ways of using sensory play to engage learners further in their learning.
9 am Admissions and a virtual tea or coffee to start the day!
9.05 am Welcome, introductions and a warm-up activity.
9.20 am Session 1: Getting started with Self Regulation with Chris Barson
10.10 am Session 2: The Principles of Play and the Play Cycle with Matt Laurie
11.00 am Coffee
11.30 am Session 3: ‘If it’s fun, they will come: building intrinsic motivation in the classroom’ with Bex Watton
12.20 pm Morning Plenary – Q & A
12.30 pm Lunch
1.30 pm Session 4: Autistic Play Audit: Are you enabling best practice? with Carol Allen
2.20 pm Session 5: Sensory Play Opportunities with Richard Hirstwood
2.50 pm Q & A
3 pm Thank you and close of the day
Click on the names below to read more about our conference presenters!
Bex Watton
This conference will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, working with pupils with autism and neurodiverse learning needs or both.
The recording of this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access this using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions for creating your password are in the joining information).
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
a transcript of the Zoom chat
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
The cost is £249 plus VAT per delegate. You can select multiple places on the booking form.
You can pay by credit card for this booking or request an invoice on the booking form.
