TEACCH stands for the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children and was founded in 1966 at the University of North Carolina in the USA. In 1972 legislation was passed which enabled TEACCH to become the first comprehensive community-based programme for children and adults with Autism and other similar developmental disorders. It forms the basis of a range of interventions with Autism such as; diagnosis and assessment, individualised support, special education, social skills training, employment training and support to families.

The TEACCH programme aims to support people with Autism to manage successfully in their home, educational and professional lives, by addressing environmental obstacles and by working with people to adapt their behaviours. There is a focus on structured learning and skill development.

When supporting individuals living at Nene House staff will implement the principles of the TEACCH approach and understand:

• The importance of structure in making the world predictable and each day manageable.
• The positive approaches and expectations as a way of building people's strengths.
• To have empathy for the way a person with Autism perceives 'their' world, so that things they find positive can be focused on and things they find distressing can be avoided.
• Low-arousal approaches in both sensory and interactional sense.
• How links with families, carers and professionals ensure consistency and predictability in how individuals are supported.
• To explain at every stage what is about to happen, what will happen next and why.
• Maintaining routine as familiarity is often important.
• To consider the person's behaviour in terms of their Autism,even if it does become challenging.
• That the environment is important. Some people with Autism are particularly sensitive to light, movement, sounds, smell and touch and benefit from calmness to help alleviate any anxiety.