Trainees will need to demonstrate they have:

• An excellent up-to-date knowledge and understanding of: autism, lived experiences of autistic people and their families, and common supports for autistic children and young people

• Experience of running group-based programmes/interventions

• The ability or potential to adopt a therapeutic stance when running groups. This means being reflexive, flexible, responsive, empathic, open-minded, and able to sit with discomfort

• The willingness and ability to move beyond deficit-based framings of autism towards a more neuro-affirming approach

Finally, lived experience as a family member of an autistic/neurodivergent person or as an autistic/neurodivergent person yourself is not essential but would be valuable.

Please ensure you meet the person specification as outlined above. There are several questions on the Empower-Autism registration form where you can provide examples of this.  If we can see that you meet the person specification, you will be accepted onto the training course. 

After the training course, the Empower-Autism trainers assess whether you have demonstrated the skills required to become a certified Empower-Autism facilitator. 

We will then contact you to inform you of the outcome of their assessment. Where individuals have not yet met the certification threshold, this will be discussed with them, along with the options available to them.  

DURATION

• This is usually configured as 3 days of 7 hours; however there can be flexibility in format in some circumstances. Please discuss this with us.

WHERE

• Online

TRAINING STYLE

• Trainer led presentations

• Direct learner interaction through video analysis of programme content

• Group based reflections and discussions

• Skills practice – rehearsing specific techniques

• Experiential opportunities

COST

• £1,000 per person for the training course, the Empower-Autism manual and 12 months membership

• Annual membership fee thereafter, £60 per year or £150 for three years

Day 1

• Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Experiencing ACT for yourself

• Learning how the ACT therapeutic stance is used in the Empower-Autism programme

Day 2

• Empower-Autism protocol

• Key psycho-education content and ACT exercises for:
  Session 1 - Introduction to Autism and ACT
  Session 2 – Autistic ways of processing; the education system and managing stress

Day 3

• Key psycho-education content and ACT exercises for:
  Session 3 – Communication, understanding and interaction

• Delivery of the ACT focused
  Session 4 – Who or what matters to you?

• Key psycho-education content and ACT exercises for:
  Session 5 – Your child, their world: sensory processing and emotional regulation

• Space for reflection and next steps

• Two group-based online supervision sessions per year

• Updates from the Empower-Autism team, with guidance on how to keep content updated and evidence-informed

• Access to a nominated member of the Empower-Autism team to answer any queries

• Access to an annual collaboration event to engage in peer support and sharing of best practice and experiences, with the team and other Empower-Autism facilitators

• Tuesdays 15th, 22nd & 29th September 2026

• Fridays 15th, 22nd & 29th January 2027

If you are interested in attending a course, please complete the contact form in the section below, and we will be in touch.

We are also able to offer bespoke facilitator training courses for your organisation. Please email us if you like to discuss this.