Everything here describes the approach we're building toward, not a finished, operating programme yet. We're sharing it in detail because families deserve to know how we think about teaching and care, even this early.
No two children learn the same way, so no single teaching method does all the work on its own. Here's what we plan to draw from, and why.
We plan to use current, naturalistic ABA, built around a child's own motivation and everyday moments, not rigid drills or compliance for its own sake. Goals are set collaboratively with families, focused on skills that meaningfully improve a child's daily life and independence, not on making a child behave more typically for its own sake.
Inspired by structured teaching frameworks widely used in autism education, visual schedules, predictable routines, and clearly organised physical spaces that help a child understand what's happening now and what comes next, reducing anxiety before it starts.
Lessons built to be seen, heard, touched, and moved through, not just read or listened to. For many children with intellectual and developmental needs, information sticks best when it arrives through more than one channel at once.
Every child at Mireth House will have a living plan built around their own starting point and pace, reviewed regularly with families and therapists together, not a fixed curriculum applied evenly to a whole classroom.
We know ABA has a complicated history, and that some autistic adults have real, valid criticism of how it's been practised in the past, particularly older, compliance-focused versions of it. We're not interested in building that version. Any ABA used at Mireth House will be delivered by qualified professionals, built around a child's own goals and motivation, and paired with genuine respect for how that child naturally communicates and self-regulates. If a technique doesn't serve the child in front of us, we won't use it just because it's standard practice elsewhere.
Teachers and therapists coordinating together, not operating in separate silos, so progress in one area reinforces progress in another.
Support for verbal communication, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) for children who are non-verbal or minimally verbal, and social communication skills built into everyday interaction, not just isolated sessions.
Fine motor skills, sensory processing support, and the everyday practical skills that build independence, dressing, eating, writing, and self-care, worked on in real contexts, not just a therapy room.
Gross motor development, balance, coordination, and mobility support for children with physical needs, always working toward the most independence possible for each individual child.
Help with emotional regulation, coping strategies, and de-escalation, delivered with patience and consistency, so a hard moment is met with support rather than punishment.
We're building this approach with families and professionals, not announcing it finished. If you have experience worth sharing, we'd genuinely like to hear it.
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