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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has funded the delivery of the Autism Reality Experience to two schools in the Slieve Gullion and Crotlieve District Electoral Areas as part of World Autism Acceptance Month this April. The programme, delivered by Training 2 CARE and supported by the Public Health Agency, offered staff a hands-on insight into the daily challenges faced by those on the autism spectrum.
Reality Experience, an immersive, mobile training simulator designed to replicate
sensory processing challenges associated with Autism. From left: Shirley
Keenan-Hughes Crotlieve DEA, Conor Rodgers, Vice Principal St Mark’s High
School, Councillor Selina Murphy, Aidan McGivern, Principal St Mark’s High School,
Councillor Kate Murphy Chairperson Crotlieve DEA and Karen Crummy, Special
Educational Needs Coordinator St Mark's High School.
Staff at St Paul's High School in Bessbrook and St Mark's High School in Warrenpoint took part in the training sessions, which were designed to give participants a clearer understanding of the sensory and communication difficulties experienced by pupils with autism.
During the sessions, participants were given an understanding of a range of sensory processing challenges, including hypersensitivity to sound and light, feelings of overwhelm, difficulties with language processing, and challenges with balance and spatial awareness. The experience also highlighted what it can feel like to navigate environments that are not designed with neurodiverse needs in mind.
Reality Experience to deepen their understanding for the experience of their autistic
students at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook.
Slieve Gullion DEA Forum Chairperson Councillor Aine Quinn said the programme had made a real difference to staff at St Paul's. "This interactive initiative has given staff at St Paul's a deeper insight into autism and the challenges that pupils may encounter in their daily lives. It is essential that the wider public develops a greater understanding of how neurodiverse individuals experience different environments, and how we can all play a role in creating a more inclusive society."
Crotlieve DEA Forum Chairperson Councillor Kate Murphy welcomed the initiative: "I am delighted that as a Council we have provided funding to bring the Autism Reality Experience to our district. This training will be invaluable to the staff at St Marks High School and will increase their understanding of Autism which will benefit any pupils at the school who have received this diagnosis."
The training forms part of a wider effort by the council to promote inclusion across the district, with the sessions in Bessbrook and Warrenpoint providing staff with practical knowledge that will help shape more supportive environments for neurodiverse pupils.
