We focus on the core difficulties that lie at the heart of autism. These include problems with rigid thinking, managing uncertainty and change, social interaction and understanding and managing emotions. These are the difficulties that are at the root of distressed (challenging) behaviour.

At Bright Futures our projects and activities involve academic learning but our first priority is to work on these core difficulties rather than just compensating for or working around them. We achieve this by using the development of typical children as our model. Our approach is strongly influenced by the thinking and research behind Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®)

The school also brings a different way of working with parents and carers whom we see as equal partners who will be supported by our trained and appropriately qualified staff so that they understand the approach and methods used in school and are able to complement these with input to their child's development in the family setting.

Bright Futures is an independent school registered with the Department for Education (353/6015). It caters for children with statements of special educational need who have a diagnosis of autism.