Aspiring Autism Specialist​/Mental Health & SEN - Learning Support Assistant

Aspiring Autism Specialist / Mental Health & SEN Support - Learning Support Assistant

Pay: £108 per day

Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire (easily commutable via Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway, and local bus routes)

Start Date: 7th September 2026

Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 3:45pm, term time only

Training: Full education, training, and CPD provided

Are you a psychology, education, health and social care, speech and language, or child development graduate looking to build a rewarding career supporting children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), SEN, and mental health needs?

This Learning Support Assistant position offers an excellent opportunity to gain valuable hands‑on experience working with autistic and non‑verbal children, as well as those with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, in a specialist educational setting in Maidenhead.

You will support pupils with a range of additional needs, including autism, communication difficulties, sensory processing needs, complex learning differences, anxiety, trauma, and emotional dysregulation. Working alongside experienced teachers, therapists, and specialist support staff, you will help create a nurturing environment where every child can develop confidence, independence, and essential life skills.

The school provides a highly structured and supportive environment designed to meet the unique needs of autistic learners and those with mental health challenges. Through individualised learning plans, communication-focused strategies, sensory-informed approaches, and trauma-informed practice, pupils are empowered to achieve positive outcomes both academically and socially.

This role is ideal for graduates and aspiring professionals considering careers in educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, SEN teaching, behaviour support, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), or clinical psychology.

This Learning Support Assistant role offers the opportunity to:

• Gain Specialist Autism & SEN
  
  Experience:
  
  Support autistic, non-verbal, and SEMH pupils on a one-to-one and small-group basis, developing a deep understanding of communication differences, sensory needs, and individual learning profiles.
• Support Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing: Help pupils manage anxiety, low mood, emotional dysregulation, and trauma‑related behaviours, using calm, consistent, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Develop Communication Strategies: Learn and implement a range of communication methods, including visual supports, PECS, Makaton, AAC devices, and other alternative communication systems.
• Support Emotional Regulation: Help pupils develop emotional awareness and self-regulation skills through consistent routines, positive reinforcement, sensory-informed interventions, and therapeutic approaches.
• Work Within a Multi-Disciplinary Team: Collaborate closely with teachers, SENCOs, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, and families to provide holistic support.
• Build Essential Professional
  
  Skills:
  
  Develop skills in behaviour support, communication facilitation, safeguarding, observation, record‑keeping, p