![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=5feba69e2c2483000fbe637267af69a7 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=cf30fd5d54a786bf5814f36e291d2a50 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=6e9b0cf0a58e7648d41f517b4bfbdd21 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=f3c7517bd48e1272f5bfdae91ed6c7f2 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=3a0b15356306afc91824ff081bcd4501 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=d16bc2e34e2e685c796698a96dfb7660 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=f1b3a94348bf878783ea1064053f1a18 1920w)
The first session took place on Friday, 9 July, during which the children explored different materials and completed a Mad Libs-style story that will determine the design of their toys’ homes, which they’ll build at the second workshop this week. The final session will be dedicated to feedback from the pupils, teacher, and classroom assistants, discussing what worked well and what could be improved.
The twelve children taking part are aged 7 to 11, each with varying degrees of autism. They present a range of abilities and needs, with some for instance requiring Makaton signing and visual cards, while others have greater verbal facility. The story was presented using Communicate in Print, a desktop publishing programme that creates visual symbols to accompany text.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=71ebe152445050c0d1b78e45cdb21f12 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=69a184181247ec7ebc9fb2d1585c77c0 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=2938ebebfa03f429aef7067ac4e9df14 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=2110be80878b69f8c8403fb2c44de4f3 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=fd03c5dc088e38268f2810f7a2e4da3f 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=0f248dcf7337adad3883b15fd5150911 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2Friba-final3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=255f28590f21a1d2810b8191214806b6 1920w)
Kate Westbrook, RIBA Schools Programme Coordinator, attended the first session and said: “It was the first time I had seen a text displayed via Communicate in Print used by a non-education professional, which shows a real dedication to incorporate the teacher’s feedback and the tools that support students with additional needs. In mainstream settings, we often have verbal outputs in sessions when students present their work, but it’s really important that this was also included here, so that these students with a range of levels of speech, from completely non-verbal to emerging language skills, were encouraged to share their ideas.”
“I thought Make worked really hard and in a flexible enough way to understand and respond to the needs of the group throughout the planning process. This was evident within the session, which ran exactly to plan, with all students achieving the learning outcomes. Working with a specialist autism unit has some challenges, but the Make team took on board teacher feedback and really considered how to design a programme that would ensure barriers were taken away so that pupils could enjoy making choices, exploring materials and getting really excited about their creative next steps. Students were engaged, full of ideas and already thinking forward to next week, when they will build their houses!”
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=cc206172b994a1641cf9b926afb31f2a 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=246cd7bf446e0d916425c0c8823fc220 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=92388350842039455a7208f2e39648d3 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=ff55b4ab065976d1119950c0bb5387a6 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=161b914bdbd74b2673ab318e9bb74756 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=026aed20a62d4e2a4b5cf122107d79e9 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FRiba-Class-Child.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=54c7dbc2aeebdb695357bbda66d5a0cc 1920w)
The Woodlands partnership is part of Make’s effort to expand and formalise our participation in outreach initiatives including the RIBA Architecture Ambassadors, Blueprint for All, Inspiring the Future and Built By Us FLUID mentoring programmes. Learn more about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Make here.