Make the introduction to nursery or pre-school gradual for children on the autism spectrum.

Before their first visit you could:

• take photographs of the nursery and make a picture book
• arrange for staff to visit the child at home and look at the book with them
• ensure that staff have a name badge with a photo so that the children begin to recognise them and their name.

Arrange for their first visit to be when no other children and there, introducing them to staff and activities. Follow this up with other visits where they gradually get to meet the other children.