TEACCH

TEACCH's core idea is "structured teaching": making the autistic learner's environment predictable and visually meaningful so cognitive effort is freed for learning rather than for working out what is expected. The framework has four organising components.

Physical structure: the classroom or workspace is visually defined, different areas for different activities, low-arousal zones for regulation, distractions minimised. Visual schedules: each pupil follows a personalised schedule using objects, photos, symbols, or written words depending on their symbolic level. Work systems: tasks are presented with a clear "what to do, how much, when finished" structure, often left-to-right with completed work moved to a "finished" basket. Routines and visual cues: the day, the lesson, and the transitions are made visually obvious.

In a UK specialist autism class, TEACCH is often the default framework. Pupils have individual workstations, visual schedules at their desk, work baskets labelled and sequenced, and the staff training to deliver it. In a mainstream classroom, TEACCH elements can be embedded without taking over: a personal visual schedule for one pupil; a structured task system for independent work; a clearly defined low-arousal corner.

The evidence base is mature but mixed. The 2017 Mesibov review and the Department for Education's autism literature reviews position TEACCH as a long-standing structured framework with strong practitioner endorsement, although direct RCT evidence is sparse compared with PECS or specific behavioural interventions.

In an EHCP, Section F can specify TEACCH-based provision, for example "individual visual schedule, work system, and physical structure in line with TEACCH principles, with staff trained by an autism specialist teacher".