Autism awareness means understanding autism as a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference — not an illness to be cured — so you can communicate well, adjust the environment and support autistic people to live the life they choose. Here is the fact most people miss: autism is the only condition in England with its own Act of Parliament, the Autism Act 2009, and since 1 July 2022 the Health and Care Act 2022 has required all CQC-registered health and care providers to ensure staff are trained on autism and learning disability at a level appropriate to their role.
At a glance: Nexis CPD’s £9 Autism Awareness course gives staff a clear, respectful grounding in what autism is, how to communicate and how to make reasonable adjustments. It is CPD accredited and 100% online with a verifiable e-certificate, and any three courses cost £18. It is an introductory awareness course — it is not the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, and on its own it does not discharge a provider’s duty under the Health and Care Act 2022.
What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts with others, and experiences the world around them. It is not a mental illness, it is not caused by parenting, and it is not something a person grows out of or is cured of. Autistic people are born autistic and remain autistic throughout their lives.
Autism is described as a spectrum, which is often misunderstood as a straight line from “a little autistic” to “very autistic”. It is better understood as a profile of differing strengths and challenges that varies from person to person and can vary for the same person day to day. Common differences include:
- Social communication and interaction — taking language literally, finding small talk or reading between the lines difficult, or communicating in ways that others misread.
- Repetitive behaviours and routines — a strong preference for predictability, and distress when routines change unexpectedly.
- Sensory processing differences — being over- or under-sensitive to sound, light, touch, smell or taste. A busy, bright, noisy room that others barely notice can be genuinely painful or overwhelming.
- Intense interests — deep, focused knowledge of particular subjects, which is a real strength.
The saying used across the autistic community captures it well: “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” Awareness is not learning a checklist of traits; it is learning to be curious about the individual in front of you. Many autistic people prefer identity-first language (“autistic person”) rather than person-first language (“person with autism”), but preferences vary — so ask.
How common is autism in the UK?
The National Autistic Society estimates that around 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic — more than 700,000 people — a figure consistent with the NHS-published Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study. More recent research suggests the true prevalence may be higher, partly because autism has historically been under-recognised in women and girls, in adults, and in people who have learned to “mask” their differences.
Two practical points follow from this. First, whatever your workplace, you will meet and serve autistic people whether or not you know it — many are undiagnosed. Second, a long wait for an autism assessment is common, so support should never depend on a person holding a formal diagnosis. Reasonable adjustments and good communication help autistic people regardless of diagnostic status.
Is autism a disability under the law?
It can be. Under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if they have a “physical or mental impairment” that has a “substantial and long-term adverse effect” on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Autism is a recognised impairment for these purposes, and because it is lifelong it readily meets the “long-term” test. Importantly, a person does not need a formal diagnosis to be protected.
Where autism is a disability, the Equality Act gives autistic people protection from discrimination and places a duty on employers, schools and service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that an autistic person is not placed at a substantial disadvantage. In practice that might mean giving instructions in writing, allowing extra processing time, providing a quiet space, or being flexible about interview formats. Our guide to equality, diversity and inclusion explains the wider framework.
Is autism awareness training a legal requirement?
For health and social care providers, yes. Section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022 amended the Health and Social Care Act 2008 so that, from 1 July 2022, all providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism that is appropriate to the person’s role. The training must cover how to interact appropriately with autistic people and people with a learning disability.
This is a genuine legal duty enforced through CQC registration, not a nice-to-have. It applies across the sector — hospitals, GP practices, care homes, domiciliary care and more. The Government’s Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, which came into effect on 6 September 2025, sets the standards this training should meet in both content and delivery, and the CQC takes it into account when judging whether a provider has met the requirement.
Outside regulated health and care, there is no single law that names a compulsory autism course for every employer. But the Equality Act’s reasonable-adjustments duty, and general duties to avoid discrimination, mean that awareness training is a sensible and often necessary step for any organisation that employs or serves the public. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What is the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the Government’s preferred and recommended package for meeting the Health and Care Act duty. It is named after Oliver McGowan, a young autistic man with a learning disability whose death in 2016 led his family to campaign for better training so that health and care staff understand and adjust for autistic people and people with a learning disability.
The training has two tiers, and the Government expects every health and care worker to complete the tier appropriate to their role:
- Tier 1 — for staff who require general awareness of the support autistic people and people with a learning disability need.
- Tier 2 — for staff who provide care and support, and for those who may make decisions about that care.
What makes the Oliver McGowan training distinctive is that it is co-delivered with autistic people and people with a learning disability, so that lived experience is central. That is exactly why an online course cannot, by itself, be the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. A course like ours builds the underpinning knowledge and can support your wider learning, but if you are a CQC-registered provider you must check your training against the Code of Practice and use provision that meets it.
What does good autism awareness look like in practice?
Awareness only matters if it changes what you do. The most useful adjustments are usually simple, cheap and immediate.
Communication
Use clear, concrete language and avoid idioms, sarcasm and vague requests (“in a minute”, “pull your socks up”). Say what you mean. Give processing time after asking a question — silence is not refusal, it is often someone thinking. Offer information in writing or with visual supports, and check understanding without being patronising.
The sensory environment
Reduce avoidable sensory load: dim harsh lighting, lower background noise, offer a quieter space, and warn people before something loud or sudden. What feels like “overreaction” is frequently a genuine sensory experience others cannot feel.
Predictability
Tell people what will happen and when, give notice of changes, and keep to routines where you can. Uncertainty is a major source of anxiety for many autistic people.
Distress is communication, not “challenging behaviour”
When an autistic person is overwhelmed they may experience a meltdown (an intense response to being overloaded) or a shutdown (withdrawing and becoming unresponsive). Neither is naughtiness or manipulation. The right response is to reduce demands and sensory input, keep everyone safe, and stay calm — not to escalate. Supporting people with dignity sits at the heart of this; see our guide to dignity in care.
The SPELL framework
The National Autistic Society’s SPELL framework is a widely used way to remember the principles of good autism support. It stands for Structure (make the world predictable and clear), Positive approaches and expectations (build on strengths and set realistic, encouraging goals), Empathy (see the world from the autistic person’s perspective), Low arousal (reduce sensory and emotional overload), and Links (work in partnership with the person, their family and other services). It is not a rigid programme but a useful checklist for turning awareness into consistent practice.
Recognise masking and its cost
Many autistic people learn to mask — consciously suppressing natural responses to appear “typical”, for example forcing eye contact or scripting conversations. Masking can help someone get through a day, but it is exhausting and is linked to anxiety, burnout and poor mental health. In practice this matters for employers: an autistic employee may cope visibly at work and then be depleted, so reasonable adjustments and a genuinely accepting culture do more good than expecting people to hide who they are.
Autism, mental capacity and safeguarding
Two serious errors recur in services, and awareness training exists partly to prevent them.
The first is assuming an autistic person lacks capacity. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, capacity is decision-specific and must always be presumed unless a proper assessment shows otherwise; being autistic does not mean a person cannot make their own decisions. Our guide to the Mental Capacity Act explains the five principles.
The second is diagnostic overshadowing — putting a person’s physical symptoms or distress down to “their autism” and missing a treatable illness. This can be dangerous, and it was a theme in the concerns that led to the Oliver McGowan training. Autistic adults and children are also at higher risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation, which is why autism awareness and safeguarding adults go hand in hand.
Which courses support autism awareness?
Our £9 courses give staff a respectful, practical foundation and a verifiable certificate for your training records — while being honest about where regulated or co-delivered training is required instead.
- Autism Awareness — what autism is, communication, sensory needs and reasonable adjustments.
- Mental Capacity Act — because capacity must be presumed and assessed properly, never assumed from a diagnosis.
- Dignity in Care — person-centred support that treats each person as an individual.
Those three together cost £18 rather than £27, because any three courses trigger the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Add them to the cart and the discount applies automatically. If you are a CQC-registered provider, use these to build knowledge alongside — not instead of — training that meets the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is autism a mental illness?
No. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition, not a mental illness and not a disease. It is not caused by parenting or by vaccines, and it cannot be cured or grown out of. Autistic people can, like anyone, also experience mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression — often made worse by a world that is not set up for them — but autism itself is a difference in how a person thinks, communicates and experiences the world.
Is autism awareness training a legal requirement in the UK?
For CQC-registered health and social care providers, yes. Since 1 July 2022, under section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022, they must ensure staff receive training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, including how to interact appropriately. The Oliver McGowan Code of Practice (in effect from 6 September 2025) sets the standards. Outside regulated health and care there is no single mandatory course, but the Equality Act 2010 reasonable-adjustments duty makes awareness training sensible for most employers.
What is the difference between an autism awareness course and the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?
An online autism awareness course builds underpinning knowledge. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is a specific, standardised programme with two tiers that is co-delivered with autistic people and people with a learning disability, and it is the Government’s recommended way for CQC-registered providers to meet their legal duty. An online awareness course, including ours, is not the Oliver McGowan training and does not by itself meet that duty.
Is autism a disability under the Equality Act 2010?
It can be. Autism is a mental impairment, and because it is lifelong it usually meets the “long-term” test; where it has a substantial adverse effect on day-to-day activities it is a disability under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010. A person does not need a formal diagnosis to be protected, and employers and service providers must make reasonable adjustments.
How common is autism?
The National Autistic Society estimates around 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic, in line with the NHS Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study, though more recent research suggests the figure may be higher. Autism has been under-recognised in women and girls and in adults, so many autistic people are undiagnosed or are waiting for an assessment.
What are reasonable adjustments for autistic people?
Common examples include giving instructions in writing, allowing extra time to process and respond, providing a quiet or low-sensory space, reducing bright lighting and background noise, giving advance notice of changes, and being flexible about interview or appointment formats. The best adjustment is the one that suits the individual, so ask the person what helps.
Can an online course make me qualified to support autistic people?
An online awareness course gives you a foundation of knowledge and a certificate for your records, but it is not a regulated qualification and does not make anyone an autism specialist. Roles that involve specialist assessment, decision-making or clinical care need role-specific, often co-delivered training, and CQC-registered providers must meet the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice.
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This article is general information, not legal, clinical or diagnostic advice. It does not diagnose autism and is not a substitute for professional assessment or support. A Nexis CPD awareness course is CPD accredited but is not a regulated qualification and is not the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training; on its own it does not discharge a CQC-registered provider’s duty under section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022, which must be met with training that meets the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice. The Autism Act 2009 and the national autism strategy apply in England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own autism strategies. Figures and duties cited are drawn from legislation.gov.uk, gov.uk and the National Autistic Society at the time of writing.