Description

Course Overview

What would change if every person you supported felt heard, understood, respected, and included?

For people with learning disabilities and autistic people, everyday interactions with healthcare professionals, educators, support workers, employers, and other services can make a significant difference. Communication that is too complex, assumptions about behaviour, inaccessible environments, or a failure to make reasonable adjustments can create unnecessary barriers.

Oliver McGowan Training: Learning Disability & Autism helps learners build a more informed, respectful, and person-centred approach to supporting people with learning disabilities and autistic people across UK settings.

Could the way you communicate be creating an unintended barrier?

The course explores learning disability and autism from both practical and lived-experience perspectives. You will look beyond labels and assumptions to understand communication differences, sensory needs, behaviour as communication, reasonable adjustments, safeguarding, consent, capacity, and person-centred support.

What will you actually learn?

Across 12 practical modules, you’ll build a stronger understanding of learning disability and autism, explore lived experience, and develop more effective ways to communicate, support individual needs, and make reasonable adjustments. You’ll also learn about person-centred practice, safeguarding, behaviour and distress, consent and capacity, and how to create more inclusive and respectful experiences across healthcare, education, social care, and workplace settings. 

Who is this course for?

This course is relevant to healthcare professionals, social care workers, education staff, support workers, employers, workplace professionals, and others who work with or support people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

It is also suitable for anyone who wants to develop a more inclusive and person-centred approach to communication, support, and professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Explain what learning disability and autism mean in a UK context.
• Understand why people with learning disabilities and autistic people can experience inequalities.
• Challenge common misconceptions and assumptions.
• Recognise differences in communication and sensory processing.
• Identify individual strengths, preferences, abilities, and support needs.
• Apply communication techniques that are clearer and more accessible.
• Adapt communication to individual needs and circumstances.
• Understand the purpose of reasonable adjustments.
• Apply person-centred principles when providing support.
• Respect individual choices, preferences, dignity, and independence.
• Recognise potential safeguarding concerns.
• Understand behaviour as a possible form of communication.
• Identify potential triggers for distress and consider appropriate responses.
• Apply positive behaviour support and de-escalation principles.
• Understand key principles relating to consent and capacity.
• Recognise the importance of best-interest decision-making where applicable.
• Adapt professional practice across healthcare, education, social care, and workplace settings.
• Reflect on unconscious bias and professional attitudes.
• Develop more inclusive and respectful approaches to everyday practice.
• Identify areas for continued professional learning and development.

Why Take This Course?

What if the behaviour you are seeing is actually communication?

A person may appear distressed, withdrawn, frustrated, or resistant. The response can change significantly when you first ask:

“What might this person be trying to communicate?”

This course helps learners move beyond assumptions and develop a more thoughtful understanding of communication, sensory needs, behaviour, and individual preferences.

Why does this matter?

People with learning disabilities and autistic people can encounter barriers when services, environments, or communication approaches are not adapted to their needs.

You will develop practical awareness that can help you:

• Communicate more effectively
• Recognise individual needs and preferences
• Make appropriate reasonable adjustments
• Support dignity and independence
• Respond more calmly to distress
• Recognise safeguarding concerns
• Provide more person-centred support
• Reflect on your own assumptions and professional practice

The focus is not on treating everyone the same. It is on understanding the person in front of you and adapting your approach accordingly.

Requirements

No previous knowledge of learning disability, autism, or specialist support is required.

• No formal qualifications or professional licence are needed.
  ● A basic understanding of English is recommended.
  ● Learners should have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with an internet connection.
  ● For workplace-specific support and safeguarding activities, learners should follow their employer’s policies, procedures, and any additional training requirements.

Career Progression

Could a better understanding of learning disability and autism strengthen the way you work with people?

Knowledge of inclusive communication, reasonable adjustments, safeguarding, person-centred support, and professional reflection can be valuable across a wide range of roles.

This course can support professional development for:

• Healthcare professionals and support staff
• Social care workers
• Care and support workers
• Education professionals
• Teaching assistants and SEN support staff
• Pastoral and inclusion teams
• Workplace managers and HR professionals
• Disability and inclusion teams
• Community support workers
• Professionals working with families and carers
• Anyone supporting people with learning disabilities or autistic people

It can also provide a foundation for further learning in learning disability support, autism awareness, person-centred care, safeguarding, positive behaviour support, inclusive practice, SEN support, social care, and healthcare.

Certificate

Complete your training and celebrate your achievement with a Course Completion Certificate from All Skill Academy.

Your certificate provides a simple way to recognise your learning and show that you have completed the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Oliver McGowan Training?

The Oliver McGowan Training is focused on improving understanding, knowledge, and confidence when working with people with learning disabilities and autistic people. It places particular importance on lived experience and more person-centred approaches.

Who is this course suitable for?

It is suitable for professionals and staff working across healthcare, social care, education, workplaces, and support services, as well as anyone who regularly interacts with or supports people with learning disabilities or autistic people.

Do I need previous experience?

No. The course is designed to introduce the subject clearly and practically, making it suitable for learners without specialist experience.

What will I learn about learning disability?

You will explore what learning disability means, different types and causes, the distinction between learning disability and learning difficulty, common misconceptions, and health inequalities.

What will I learn about autism?

The course explores autism, sensory processing differences, social communication differences, strengths and abilities, and co-occurring conditions.

Does the course focus only on challenges?

No. A key part of the training is recognising strengths, abilities, preferences, individuality, and lived experience, rather than defining people only by difficulties or support needs.

Why is lived experience included?

Listening to lived experience can help learners understand how communication, services, attitudes, environments, and assumptions can affect people in real situations. It supports a more respectful and person-centred approach.

Will I learn how to communicate more effectively?

Yes. The course covers verbal and non-verbal communication, adapting communication to individual needs, accessible information, active listening, and reducing unnecessary jargon.

What are reasonable adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments are changes that can help reduce disadvantages experienced by disabled people and support more equitable access to services, education, employment, and other activities. The course explores practical examples across different settings.

Does the course cover safeguarding?

Yes. Learners explore safeguarding responsibilities, potential signs of abuse or neglect, and how concerns may need to be recognised and addressed.

Will I learn about behaviour and distress?

Yes. The course explores behaviour as communication, potential sensory, emotional, and environmental triggers, positive behaviour support, and approaches to de-escalating distress.

Does the course cover consent and mental capacity?

Yes. The training introduces consent, capacity, best-interest decisions, documentation, and professional accountability.

Is the course relevant outside healthcare?

Yes. The curriculum includes healthcare, education, social care, and workplace settings, helping learners consider how approaches may need to change depending on the environment and individual circumstances.

Will this course qualify me to provide specialist care?

No. The course provides awareness and foundational learning. Specialist clinical, social care, educational, or professional roles may require additional qualifications, supervised practice, or role-specific training.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Learners who complete the training receive a Course Completion Certificate from All Skill Academy.

Curriculumn