Course Information at a Glance
Course length: Approximately four hours
Course format: Online and self-paced
Coursework: There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment
Who is it for? Teachers, teaching assistants, SENDCos, Early Years practitioners, school leaders, nurture staff, pastoral teams, outdoor learning leads and professionals supporting autistic children
Age range: EYFS, KS1, KS2 and adaptable for older learners
Experience required: No previous specialist outdoor learning experience is required
How do you complete the course? Work through a mixture of short reading sections, training videos, audio content, practical examples and opportunities to reflect on your own setting
Can I complete it at my own pace? Yes. Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you
What will I receive? Access to the online training and eligibility for a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion
How do I access it? The course is accessed online through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account
Is it included in my membership? This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
Who Is This ASD Outdoor Learning Course For?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD is suitable for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, SENDCos, Early Years practitioners, nurture staff, pastoral teams, outdoor learning leads, Forest School practitioners, home educators and school leaders.
It can be completed by an individual practitioner or used as part of a wider staff professional-development programme.
The course is suitable for mainstream primary schools, specialist schools, alternative provision, nurture settings, Early Years settings, home education and organisations supporting children with additional needs.
You do not need to be an autism specialist to take part.
The course is designed to help education professionals develop their understanding, reflect on their current practice and begin making outdoor learning more accessible to autistic children.
Every autistic child is different. The course does not offer a fixed programme that expects every child to respond in the same way. Instead, it helps practitioners observe individual needs, remove unnecessary barriers and adapt outdoor learning appropriately.
Explore our SEND Outdoor Learning Hub for further guidance, resources and practical support.
What Will You Learn?
By the end of the Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD, you will have a stronger understanding of how autism may influence a child’s experience of school and outdoor learning.
You will explore how sensory processing, communication, transitions, uncertainty, emotional regulation, movement and social expectations can affect participation.
The course will help you understand how to make outdoor sessions feel more predictable and emotionally safe, introduce outdoor learning gradually, adapt activities without removing challenge, reduce unnecessary language and social pressure, use visual support and clear routines, recognise signs of sensory overload, provide opportunities for movement and regulation, support different forms of communication and create meaningful ways for children to participate.
You will also consider how a child’s behaviour may communicate discomfort, uncertainty, sensory overload, anxiety or an unmet need.
The aim is not to make autistic children behave like their peers.
The aim is to create outdoor learning experiences in which they feel understood, respected, included and able to succeed.
For a broader introduction to taking learning outside, visit our Complete Guide to Outdoor Learning.
Why Can Outdoor Learning Help Autistic Children?
Many autistic children benefit from additional space, movement, predictable routines, reduced social pressure and opportunities to engage with learning in practical ways.
The outdoor environment can provide these opportunities, but only when it is used thoughtfully.
For some children, moving outside can reduce the intensity of a busy classroom. It may provide more physical space, fewer close interactions and greater freedom to move.
Outdoor learning may also allow children to demonstrate understanding without relying entirely on spoken language, handwriting or sitting still for long periods.
Children may be able to sort, build, collect, move, match, point, arrange, explore or demonstrate their ideas physically.
Real objects and practical experiences can also make abstract ideas more meaningful.
However, outdoor learning can create challenges too. Wind, rain, unexpected noises, insects, changing temperatures, unfamiliar boundaries and disrupted routines can all be difficult for some children.
This course helps practitioners consider both the benefits and the potential barriers.
Effective inclusive practice does not assume that every autistic child will automatically enjoy being outdoors. It begins with observation, communication, careful preparation and respect for the child’s individual profile.
Supporting Sensory Needs Outdoors
Sensory needs are individual.
One autistic child may seek movement, pressure, sound or touch, while another may avoid the same experiences. A child may also respond differently depending on the day, their level of tiredness, the weather, the activity and what has happened before the session.
Outdoor environments contain many changing sensory experiences. These can include bright sunlight, wind, rain, smells, mud, grass, uneven ground, traffic noise, birds, insects and the movement of other children.
During the course, you will explore how to observe sensory responses and adapt the environment rather than assuming that a child is refusing to participate.
Small changes can make a significant difference. A child may need a quieter starting point, additional processing time, a familiar object, a clear boundary, an alternative texture, access to ear defenders or the choice to observe before joining.
The aim is not to remove every sensory experience.
It is to help children access outdoor learning without becoming unnecessarily overwhelmed.
You can find related practical ideas within our Outdoor Learning Resources for Children with ASD.
Making Outdoor Learning Predictable
Predictability can help reduce anxiety.
For an autistic child, the instruction “We are going outside” may raise many unanswered questions. The child may not know where they are going, what will happen, how long they will be outside, what they will be expected to touch, who they will work with or when they will return.
Practitioners can make outdoor learning more accessible by giving clear information before the session.
This might include showing the child where the session will take place, explaining the activity using simple language, using a visual sequence, identifying the beginning and end of the session and making it clear what will happen afterwards.
Consistency is also important.
Using the same gathering point, opening routine, visual support or finishing signal can help the child understand the structure of an outdoor session.
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD helps you examine your current routines and identify where uncertainty may be creating unnecessary barriers.
This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
Supporting Communication Outdoors
Outdoor learning can create valuable communication opportunities, but adults need to avoid placing additional pressure on children.
Some autistic children use spoken language confidently. Others may use limited speech, echolalia, signs, symbols, communication devices, gestures, movement, objects or behaviour to communicate.
A child’s ability to communicate may also change when they are anxious, overwhelmed or dysregulated.
This course helps practitioners consider how communication demands can be reduced and how children can be given meaningful ways to respond.
Participation does not always need to involve speaking in front of a group, explaining an idea verbally or working with a partner.
A child might demonstrate understanding by pointing, matching, selecting, moving an object, arranging materials, following a visual sequence or completing an activity independently.
Supporting communication means recognising and respecting the way an individual child communicates.
Practitioners supporting children who use little or no spoken language may also benefit from our Outdoor Learning Specialism: Speech, Language and Non-Speaking Learners.
Supporting Regulation Through Outdoor Learning
Regulation is not simply about keeping a child calm.
It is about helping a child reach a state in which they feel safe enough to participate, communicate and learn.
Movement, heavy work, rhythm, repetition, fresh air, space and access to familiar sensory experiences can support regulation for some autistic children.
Outdoor learning may offer opportunities to carry, push, pull, dig, collect, pour, balance, walk, build or move between learning tasks.
These experiences can be built into curriculum learning rather than being treated as a reward after the work has been completed.
A child might count objects while carrying them, practise vocabulary during a movement trail, sequence instructions through a practical activity or explore scientific ideas through collecting and sorting.
The course helps practitioners consider how regulation can be supported as part of learning rather than expecting children to regulate themselves before they are allowed to participate.
Explore our 5 Sensory Circuits Outdoors Ideas for ready-to-use ideas. Listen to this fascinating podcast episode to learn more about supporting SEND learners inside and outside of the classroom. Nurturing SEND Learners with Lorraine Petersen.
Teacher Podcast: Practical Ideas to Support SEND Children in the Classroom
Try This in Your Setting
Begin by observing one outdoor transition.
Consider what the child is being asked to process between leaving the classroom and beginning the outdoor activity.
Are the instructions clear? Does the child know where to go? Is the route busy or noisy? Are there unexpected changes? Is the child expected to listen while walking? Do they know how long the session will last?
Choose one small adjustment.
You could use a simple visual showing “classroom, outdoor activity, classroom”, use the same outdoor meeting point each time or show the child the equipment before the session begins.
This is not about creating a complicated individual programme.
It is about identifying one avoidable source of uncertainty and making it easier for the child to understand what will happen.
What Will You Do During the Course?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD is designed to be practical and accessible.
You will work through short sections of online training containing reading, videos, audio content, examples from educational settings and reflective prompts.
You may be encouraged to think about a particular child, outdoor routine, lesson or area of provision while completing the course.
This helps you connect the learning to your own role and setting.
There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment to submit.
You will not be required to produce a portfolio or complete an assessed observation.
The reflective elements are there to help you consider how the strategies could be used in practice, rather than to test you.
How Long Does the Course Take?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD takes approximately four hours to complete.
You can complete the course in one session or divide it into shorter sections.
Your progress is saved, so you can pause and return whenever it is convenient.
There is no deadline and no requirement to complete the whole course in one sitting.
Schools may also choose to use sections of the training during staff meetings, SEND development sessions, twilight training or INSET time, subject to the appropriate membership or course licence.
Do I Need Previous Experience?
You do not need to be an autism specialist or an experienced outdoor learning practitioner.
The course is suitable for practitioners who are beginning to develop their understanding as well as more experienced staff who want to reflect on and improve their current practice.
A basic awareness of autism or outdoor learning may be useful, but it is not required.
The training explains the principles clearly and focuses on realistic adaptations that can be used within ordinary educational settings.
Do I Need a Forest School or Woodland?
No.
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD is designed for schools and settings using the outdoor space they already have.
The strategies can be applied in playgrounds, yards, courtyards, artificial sports areas, fields, gardens, decking and smaller outdoor spaces.
You do not need a woodland, Forest School site or expensive specialist equipment.
The emphasis is on creating thoughtful, accessible and purposeful outdoor experiences.
Visit our Muddy Puddle Teacher YouTube Channel for calming videos to help settle SEND learners once inside the classroom:
What Equipment Will I Need?
You will not need to purchase expensive equipment to complete the course.
Many outdoor learning experiences can be created using simple resources such as chalk, hoops, cones, rope, clipboards, cards, containers, bamboo, fabric and natural loose parts.
The course focuses primarily on adult understanding, planning, communication and adaptation.
Any specific equipment mentioned during the training will be explained within the relevant section.
Is This Course Suitable for All Autistic Children?
The course provides inclusive principles and practical strategies, but autistic children are not a single group.
Every child will have an individual combination of strengths, interests, communication preferences, sensory needs, support requirements and experiences.
Practitioners should adapt the guidance according to the child, information from their family and any professional recommendations already in place.
The course should not replace individual support plans, Education, Health and Care Plans, occupational therapy guidance, speech and language advice or medical recommendations.
Its purpose is to help practitioners make outdoor learning more thoughtful, flexible and accessible.
Will I Receive a Certificate?
Once you have completed the course, you will be eligible to receive a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion.
To request your certificate, email info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Please include your full name, the title of the course and the email address to which you would like the certificate sent.
Certificates are issued electronically unless otherwise agreed.
Is This an Accredited Qualification?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD provides a certificate of completion and can contribute to your professional-development record.
It is a specialist CPD course rather than a standalone accredited autism qualification.
Where a course forms part of an accredited Muddy Puddle Teacher® pathway, this will be stated clearly within the individual course information.
Explore our Accredited Outdoor Learning Training Pathway to discover the next stages of your professional development.
Can This Course Be Used as CPD?
Yes.
The course can contribute to your continuing professional development and may be recorded within appraisal evidence, a professional-development file or a reflective journal.
You may wish to record what you learned, which adaptations you introduced and the impact the changes had on children’s participation.
The course is particularly relevant for staff developing their knowledge of SEND, inclusive practice, autism, sensory needs, regulation and curriculum access.
Can Schools Complete the Course Together?
Yes.
The course can be completed individually or used as part of staff professional development.
Schools may choose to work through the training during SEND meetings, staff meetings, twilight sessions or INSET time.
Completing the course as a team can help staff develop a shared understanding and create more consistent approaches across the setting.
Each person accessing the course must be covered by the appropriate membership or training licence.
What Is Included?
The course includes approximately four hours of online training, practical guidance for supporting autistic children outdoors, information about sensory processing and regulation, strategies for communication and transitions, examples that can be adapted for ordinary school grounds, reflective prompts, access through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and eligibility for a certificate of completion.
There is no coursework, formal assignment or assessed portfolio.
Ultimate members can also explore the wider online training library, SEND specialisms, curriculum courses, outdoor learning resources and accredited professional-development pathway.
How Do I Access the Course?
Sign in to your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and open the online training area.
Select Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD and begin the course whenever you are ready.
Your progress will be saved automatically, allowing you to return to the course at any time.
Is it included in my membership? This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
Continue Your Outdoor Learning Professional Development
After completing the Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD, you can continue developing your practice through related Muddy Puddle Teacher® training.
Relevant next steps may include Outdoor Learning Specialism: Speech, Language and Non-Speaking Learners, Outdoor Learning Specialism: Behaviour and SEMH, Outdoor Learning Specialism: Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, and the Accredited Outdoor Learning Practitioner Pathway.
Ultimate Membership gives you access to the complete online course library, specialist SEND training and the next stages of your outdoor learning professional development.
Start the Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD
Develop practical, respectful and inclusive ways to support autistic children through outdoor learning.
Complete approximately four hours of online training at your own pace, with no coursework, no written assignment and no formal assessment.
Start the Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD
Is it included in my membership? This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD take?
The course takes approximately four hours to complete. You can complete it in one sitting or divide it into shorter sections. Your progress is saved, so you can pause and return whenever it suits you.
Is there any coursework?
No. There is no coursework, written assignment, assessed observation, portfolio or formal examination. The course includes optional reflection opportunities to help you apply the learning to your setting.
Do I need to be an autism specialist?
No. The course is designed for teachers, teaching assistants and other education professionals who want to improve their understanding and practice. No previous specialist qualification is required.
Is the course suitable for mainstream schools?
Yes. The course is suitable for mainstream schools, special schools, alternative provision, Early Years settings, nurture provision and home education.
Can the strategies be used with non-speaking autistic children?
Yes. The course considers different forms of communication and encourages practitioners to provide ways for children to participate without relying solely on spoken language.
Do I need access to a woodland or Forest School?
No. The course is designed for ordinary school grounds, including playgrounds, yards, courtyards, fields, gardens, decking and artificial sports areas.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. After completing the course, you can request a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion by emailing info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Is this course included in Ultimate Membership?
Yes. The Outdoor Learning Specialism: ASD is included within Ultimate Membership, alongside the wider online training library, SEND specialisms and accredited outdoor learning pathway.
Author
Written by Sarah Seaman PGCE MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®
Teacher for over 19 years
Bloomsbury author
Trainer of thousands of teachers across the UK
