National Autism Trainer Programme
(NATP)

AT-Autism and Anna Freud joined forces to develop a ground-breaking autism Train the Trainer programme commissioned by NHS England. 

Book a free place at the NATP conference

AT-Autism and Anna Freud joined forces to develop a ground-breaking autism Train the Trainer programme commissioned by NHS England.

The National Autism Trainer Programme (NATP) was delivered to 5,200 practitioners and Experts by Experience over two years. The courses were suitable for mental health professionals, across all seven NHS England regions, and other relevant staff, who currently work or may work with diagnosed or undiagnosed autistic people from the following settings:

    • adult and children and young people inpatient mental health settings
    • all age community mental health settings, including CAMHS
    • residential special schools and colleges
    • health and justice settings

The training programme was co-designed, co-produced and co-delivered with autistic people and promotes an experience-sensitive, trauma-informed approach. During the pilot in 2022, those who undertook the training agreed or strongly agreed that the course was informative and relevant to their role, and that trainers were engaging and knowledgeable.

No specialist or high-level skills were required to attend the course. However, in order to attend trainees had to:

  • be working with a team of mental health professionals in one of the settings listed above
  • have the availability and commitment to complete the four training days (09:00-17:00) over four weeks and, following training, train other staff in their setting
  • have a desire to understand autistic people’s experiences and facilitate training designed by autistic content developers in their facility, to improve outcomes for autistic people
  • actively engage in all training days and complete all reflection questionnaires throughout.

For further information on the programme, please visit the National Autism Trainer Programme website  You can also email the team at training@annafreud.org

#NATPmentalhealth #RipplesOfChange

This training is additional and complementary to the Oliver McGowan mandatory training on learning disability and autism.

“The NATP curriculum helps us to develop empathy for the experiences of autistic people, examine the assumptions behind our choices and evaluate how we communicate with young people and their families.”

Simon, Headteacher, St Joseph’s Specialist Trust

“One of the best training courses I have attended in my 30 year career in nursing. Absolutely brilliant. Wonderful and empathetic trainers.”

NATP delegate, 2023

“I am working to include NATP in our five-year strategy, with patient participation and co-production at the strategy’s core.”

Catherine Dakin, Quality Governance Lead and Psychiatrist, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust..

“I have learnt so many ways in which I can completely change the way in which we work with our autistic families, how to promote acceptance belonging and connection at every single step.”

NATP delegate, 2023.