Working with children who have autism can be a very challenging job, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. We had the pleasure of talking to one of our Relax Kids coaches, Audrey Clemenson, who has 12 years experience working with children who have autism.

Audrey, who is also a teacher, runs a number of Relax Kids classes for children with autism and their parents. She also incorporates the Relax Kids techniques into her classroom and encourages other teachers to adopt the same methods that work so well.

In her class, there are 6 children who have autism, some of whom are non-verbal, which can become quite challenging at times. Audrey has integrated Relax Kids into her afternoon classes, to allow the children to be calm and allow them to relax, preparing them for the rest of the day. Audrey tells us the children love it, as it helps build their confidence to know they are doing something that is achievable. They also appreciate the structure and repetitiveness it brings.

Another class in her school, with slightly older children, aged between 10 and 11, uses some of the Relax Kids methods. The teacher tells us that the children ‘have fun whilst learning new life skills’. She also added that it allows the children to chill out, which also benefits the teachers, as well as the children.

Audrey went on to say that it wasn’t just her class that benefits from Relax Kids, her son, who also has autism, uses Relax Kids methods to help him feel calm and prevent panic attacks.

We are incredibly inspired by Audreys work and how many children she has helped in her 12 years experience. Her hard work and dedication really is an inspiration to us all.