Autism can affect communication, interaction, flexibility, learning and everyday independence in very different ways across childhood, adolescence and adulthood. A diagnosis can help explain parts of a person’s developmental profile, but it does not tell us exactly what support they need.
At Tesserae, we support children, teens and adults based on the areas of everyday life where support would be most useful, rather than assuming that a diagnosis tells us what someone needs.
Good autism support is not a fixed programme that every autistic child moves through in the same way.
It means understanding the child’s strengths and needs, choosing useful priorities, and matching support to the situations where those skills actually matter.
No. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different strengths, challenges and priorities.
The diagnosis may be the same. The priorities do not have to be.
We usually prioritise a small number of useful goals rather than trying to address everything at once. Those priorities develop as we learn more through screening, observation, early sessions and input from the person receiving support and, where relevant, their family or caregivers.
Autism can affect several areas of development. Rather than repeating the same information on every page, we use the child’s main area of need to guide where support should focus.
No. Our goal is not to remove harmless autistic traits or teach a child to appear less autistic.
We focus on skills that help a person communicate, participate, cope, advocate for themselves and become more independent in situations that matter to them.
Tesserae’s Behaviour Support is grounded in behavioural science and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based field that helps us understand behaviour and how skills are learned.
For families exploring ABA therapy for autism or ASD, it can be helpful to think of ABA as the clinical framework rather than a fixed programme. It can be used to teach practical skills, understand behaviours that are making everyday life difficult, build independence and help skills transfer across people and settings.
ABA does not tell us what a child’s goals should be. Those goals should come from the person’s needs, priorities and everyday life.
With consent, we can collaborate with other professionals involved in the person’s care or support. Different disciplines may be involved at different points, from diagnosis and assessment to ongoing intervention. If another professional is better suited to a particular concern, we will say so.
Support should not stay at the same intensity simply because that is where it started. As skills become stronger, we want them to work with different people, in different settings and with less support.
We start by understanding what you are experiencing, or what you are noticing in your child or family member, and whether Behaviour Support is likely to be useful. A formal autism diagnosis is not required before you speak with us or begin working on functional needs.
Tell us what you are experiencing, or what you are noticing in your child or family member. We will help you decide whether an Initial Screening & Consultation would be useful.
We spend direct time with the person receiving support and, where relevant, speak with parents or caregivers to understand strengths, current difficulties and everyday priorities. Afterwards, we discuss our observations and recommended next steps.
If ongoing support is appropriate, we build around a small number of meaningful goals and choose the setting that best fits the person’s needs. The plan develops as we learn more through early sessions and ongoing review.
We review progress, help skills generalise across people and environments, and reduce therapist involvement as independence grows.
No. ABA may be useful for some people and some goals, but autism itself does not mean someone automatically needs ABA therapy. We first look at functional needs and whether Behaviour Support is the right fit.
No. Intervention can be based on the difficulties you or your child are experiencing, whether or not there has been a formal diagnosis. Diagnosis and intervention can also happen in parallel where appropriate.
No. Tesserae provides behavioural screening and intervention, not formal autism diagnosis. If a diagnostic assessment would be useful for school applications, accommodations, documentation or greater diagnostic clarity, we can refer you to the appropriate professional.
The disciplines have different areas of expertise and can complement one another. Speech Therapy may focus on speech, language and communication; Occupational Therapy may focus on sensory, motor and functional participation needs; Behaviour Support focuses on understanding behaviour, teaching practical skills and helping those skills work more independently in everyday life.
Where useful, yes. Support can extend into school, home or other everyday settings where the relevant skills need to work. For school-based support involving a child or teen, this is done with parental consent and the school’s agreement.
There is no single number that applies to every autistic person. Intensity should depend on the goals, current skills, how much support is needed to learn successfully and whether skills are transferring into everyday life. We review this over time rather than assuming therapy should stay at the same level indefinitely.
Looking for more information about autism itself? Read our Autism Guide for more detailed information on autism, common questions and support options.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information and does not provide a diagnosis or replace medical, psychological or developmental advice. Where a formal diagnostic assessment or another specialist service is appropriate, we will recommend that families speak with the relevant professional.
Not sure what support would be useful?
