Health staff are being supported to improve care provided to autistic people in mental health services as part of a three-year, charity-run programme.
Two non-profits collaborated to develop and deliver the National Autism Trainer Programme. Practitioners qualified through this, alongside an expert by experience, educate their colleagues. More than 5,200 people have learnt to co-deliver this training in their organisations.
The National Autism Trainer Programme (NATP) is a train-the-trainer course co-produced with autistic people to improve mental health care in England.
The programme, which ended in March 2025, is delivered by Anna Freud, a child mental health research, training and treatment charity, with AT-Autism and is commissioned by NHS England.
Details about the scheme – in which I have been involved since the outset – are on the Anna Freud website. Some highlights stand out.
The scheme trains mental health staff to work with colleagues to develop personalised adaptations to evidence-based practices that embed autistic experiences.
Each session is delivered by autistic people and allies. Trainers present multimedia slides, videos and animations created by autistic individuals of all ages.
The NATP promotes reflection and a commitment to anti-oppressive practice; attendees gain practical ideas for making small yet significant changes. Our focus on partnership and working together allowed us to identify ways of making practice more inclusive.
The training takes an interactive, collaborative approach. Participants are invited to share how they’ve identified areas for improvement or made adjustments to improve care.
Many professionals believe change needs to be monumental and it is common for them to feel concerned or guilty about not having done enough.
We aim to work with them and show how many small changes can create a substantial cultural shift.
Training was open to staff in inpatient and community mental health services, residential special education, along with health and justice settings. They included nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and occupational therapists.
We worked with more than 100 autistic trainers and content developers with experience of mental health difficulties to deliver the training and produce resources.
We trained over 400 autistic people and other experts by experience, including 20 parents, carers and siblings of autistic individuals, to become co-trainers.
The scheme is co-produced and co-delivered with autistic people as the experts in their experiences.
It is only by working with autistic people can we rewrite the narrative that sees autism as a set of deficits and create meaningful change.
Support we offer after training includes opportunities for professionals to refresh their knowledge on mental health and discuss how to work with rather than on or for autistic individuals.
Practitioners report they now appreciate the importance of taking time to ensure safe interactions with autistic people, encouraging a slower pace, curiosity and the opportunity to truly connect with those needing mental health support.
It has been amazing to see NATP-trained professionals forming working groups and communities of practice to discuss what they have learnt and find inspiration to make further changes.
It fills me with hope that these efforts will result in substantial and long-lasting improvements in the care of autistic people of all ages in mental health settings.
Georgia Pavlopoulou is strategic co-lead and programme director, National Autism Trainer Programme
