Educators play a critical role in fostering emotional self-awareness in young autistic learners, yet confidence in teaching emotion regulation strategies remains a challenge. This project explored how a Professional Learning Community (PLC) model can enhance educator capacity to deliver an emotional self-awareness learning unit.
A pilot initiative was undertaken at an independent P-10 school for autistic students to co-design and implement a structured program aimed at improving students’ interoceptive awareness and emotional vocabulary. The project was guided by a Theory of Change approach, focusing on collaborative professional learning, iterative design and reflective practice. The PLC, consisting of classroom educators and support staff, provided a structured space for knowledge-sharing, co-design and adaptation of evidence-based strategies.
The initiative highlighted the value of structured collaboration in overcoming professional isolation and enhancing educator confidence in teaching emotional self-awareness within autism-specific classrooms. Participants reported increased engagement, motivation and ownership of their teaching practices, reinforcing the importance of embedding interoception-based instruction within broader social-emotional learning frameworks.
Challenges such as time constraints, competing curriculum priorities and the need for adaptable assessment tools were identified, underscoring the importance of leadership support and ongoing professional learning opportunities. Despite these challenges, the project demonstrated that PLC models can effectively build educator capacity, leading to more consistent and confident delivery of emotional self-awareness instruction.
This presentation will discuss the co-design process, professional learning model and lessons learned, providing insights into scalable approaches for embedding emotional self-awareness education in autism-specific settings.