1:1 SEN Teaching Assistant – Complex Autism / ASC
Hammersmith, West London
- £95 – £100 per day PAYE
- Full-time, 8:30am – 4:00pm
- ASAP Start
- Permanent contract opportunity
As a Teaching Assistant, you already understand the importance of patience, consistency and encouragement. Supporting a child with complex Autism takes that understanding to a completely different level. This role is about connection before communication. Regulation before learning. Trust before anything else.
Wherever you are working currently, you may be so focused on getting through each day that you have not stopped to consider whether you are in the right environment to do your best work. You should, because being in a setting that truly understands Autism changes everything, not just for the child, but for you as well.
The Role: One-to-one SEN Teaching Assistant
You will be supporting a Year 2 child with complex ASC needs within a SEN provision. She does not yet have a functional form of communication. No reliable verbal language. No consistent gesture or sign. Her attention span is currently very limited. When overwhelmed, she can become dysregulated and engage in self-injurious behaviour.
Your role will not be about “managing behaviour”.
It will be about:
- Building shared attention through Intensive Interaction
- Developing engagement using workstation approaches and Bucket Time
- Supporting co-regulation during moments of distress
- Assisting with personal care and toileting with dignity and respect
- Recognising and celebrating progress that others may not even notice
In this role, progress might look like 20 seconds of eye contact, a moment of shared laughter, or tolerating a new activity without distress.
If you understand that these moments are huge milestones, you will find this deeply rewarding.
The School
This is a well-established and inclusive primary school in Hammersmith with a strong commitment to SEND. The SEN provision space is calm, structured and thoughtfully designed.
The school works closely with Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists who visit weekly. Staff receive training in SCERTS, Intensive Interaction, Bucket Time and sensory-informed practice.
Agency staff are treated as part of the team, receive school email, attend Friday briefings, have access to CPD, and attend staff events. Leaders are visible, supportive and very clear about expectations. They will always observe candidates interacting with children before offering a position, because fit matters here.
Who Will Thrive Here
This role will suit someone who:
- Has genuine experience supporting complex Autism
- Understands sensory processing differences and regulation
- Has worked with non-verbal or pre-verbal children
- Is comfortable and confident in supporting personal care
- Is emotionally steady, calm and resilient
- Wants long-term work and can commit until at least July
This school has experienced the frustration of agency staff walking away mid-contract or deciding they do not want to do personal care. They need reliability. They need commitment. They need someone who truly understands what complex ASC means in practice.
If that is you, they will value you highly.
What You Will Gain
- Specialist experience in a growing SEN provision
- Direct exposure to SALT and OT-led strategies
- Training in SCERTS, Intensive Interaction and sensory approaches
- Scale 4 equivalent pay alignment after AWR
- The opportunity to potentially move into a permanent role as the SEN unit expands in September
This school is investing heavily in its SEND provision. If you prove yourself, there will be an opportunity.
Supporting complex Autism is not about quick wins. It is about consistency, patience and believing in a child who cannot yet show you what they are capable of.
If you are interested in this position, apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.