Advice and resources : Getting help now: Autism

Overview

We understand that children, young people and their families will have concerns when their child has been referred for an autism assessment and have been working hard to offer them support. Much of the same support available after an autism diagnosis is also available while a child or young person is waiting for an autism assessment.

SHaRON Jupiter

SHaRON (Support Hope and Resources Online Network) is an online support network for parents and carers of young people with autism or parents and carers who have children waiting for an autism assessment. It is moderated by Autism Assessment Team clinicians, other autism professionals, staff from voluntary agencies across Berkshire and also offers the opportunity for families to receive parent to parent support.

If you are interested in joining, please email us at: sharon.jupiter@berkshire.nhs.uk. Please include your child’s name, and your name and contact details.

Autism Berkshire and GEMS

There are NHS locally commissioned services for Berkshire which offer a range of support to families, wherever they are on their journey. The services offer support to families who have a child with possible or confirmed ADHD and/or autism. This includes support, information, and advice as well as workshops to support with anger, emotional regulation and sleep difficulties as well as activities for children and young people.

More details can be found on these websites:

For families who live in or have a GP in Bracknell, Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead, you can visit Gems4Health below.

For families who live in or have a GP in Reading, Wokingham or West Berkshire, you can visit the Autism Berkshire website below.

• Visit the Gems4Health website
• Visit the Autism Berkshire website

Parenting Special Children

Parenting Special Children offer additional support. You can visit the website below or call 0118 986 3532.

• Visit the Parenting Special Children website

The Autism Group

The Autism Group offer free parent support and social groups, parent training sessions and a home visit service for residents in the boroughs of Slough, Bracknell and Windsor and Maidenhead.

These services are offered to parents of children and young people of any age who either have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition or are awaiting assessment. You can call them on 07423 636 339.

• Visit the Autism Group website

Autism Central South East

Autism Central is a three year programme funded by NHS England. It is designed to complement local support and offer group and individual support for parents and carers of autistic children, young people, and adults. It uses a peer model, meaning it is delivered by trained parents and carers, for parents and carers.

• Visit the Autism Central website

Support in your local area

Bracknell

The Child Development Centre (CDC) is part of the Bracknell Forest Council Early Years Team. They are a small team of professionals who support children from birth to five years with a developmental delay or moderate to severe and complex Special Education Needs or medical conditions. They are a needs-led service, which tailors support to meet the individual needs of the children and their family.

Email: Child-Development.Centre@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
Phone: 01344 354 171

Reading

Autism Advisor for Families
Email: Autism.Advisor@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire

Berkshire West Autism and ADHD Support Service provide autism support on behalf of the BOB Integrated Care Service. They offer advice and support for families with children and young people aged up to 25.

Phone: 01189 594 594 - select option 1
Email: contact@autismberkshire.org.uk

• Berkshire West Autism and ADHD Support Service

Thames Valley

The Autism Group offers support and social opportunities for young people on the autism spectrum (specifically in the secondary school and above age group). They also offer autism training for parents, carers and people living and working in the Thames Valley area. The team is based near Maidenhead.

Special interest groups:
For more information, contact Ruth on 07454 375 071 or email clubs@theautismgroup.org.uk

Training:
For more information, contact Dawn on 07463 337 851 or email training@theautismgroup.org.uk

Parent support:
For more information, contact Tricia on 07423 636 339 or email tricia@theautismgroup.org.uk 

West Berkshire

Lizzie Paterson, Autism Advisor for Families
Phone: 01635 503 646
Email: Lizzie.Paterson1@westberks.gov.uk  

Windsor & Maidenhead

The Shine Team supports children in mainstream educational settings who have an autism spectrum diagnosis by providing an training to staff working specifically with pupils on a 1:1 basis, or in small groups to support social skills and/or transition years.

SHINE also offers autism specific workshops to parents and carers, including EarlyBird, EarlyBird Plus and Cygnet programmes.

Phone: 01628 762 253 (Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm)
Email: info@theshineteam.com 

• Visit the Shine Team website

Wokingham

Autism Spectrum Service for Information, Support and Training (ASSIST) is a Wokingham Borough Council Service which offers information about autism, local events and the opportunity to attend courses run for parents who have a child with a recent diagnosis of autism.

Phone: 0118 974 6881 / 6882
Email: assist@wokingham.gov.uk

ASD Family Help

ASD Family Help is a charity offering free support and advice to individuals on the autism spectrum as well as parents, carers and professionals within the Wokingham Borough.

Phone: 07707 660 599
Email: contact@asdfamilyhelp.org  

Support in school

Support in school should be needs led and it is important to put this in place as soon as possible, there is no need to wait for the assessment to happen first. When children and young people are referred, we provide a letter for schools emphasising this and providing information on resources that might be helpful in supporting the child.

Not all of the children and young people referred for an autism assessment will go on to receive a diagnosis, although they may still have support needs. The autism assessment, regardless of outcome, will not alter the needs that the child is presenting with on a day-to-day basis. Schools also have access to educational psychologists, behaviour support teams and other services as needed.

If a school believes that a pupil is in need of one to one or other support, which cannot be provided from the resources normally available to schools, they are able to request an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment to determine whether there is a need for additional provision. 

Schools can initiate this process based on the pupil’s current level of need and it is not necessary to wait for an autism assessment to take place first. Many children and young people will have needs that can be met through Ordinarily Available Provision, which is all of the help, support and resources that are available without the need for an Educational Health and Care Plan.

Other resources

Family Lives

Professional, non-judgmental support and advice for all members of the family.

• Family Lives website

Speech and Language UK

A communication charity who offer a range of information services that provide help and advice to parents about speech, language and communication.

• Speech and Language UK

Afasic

This organisation supports parents and represents children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. Resources include books and DVDs and free downloads.

• Afasic website

ERIC

Information, advice and guides for toilet training and children’s bladder and bowel problems.

• ERIC website

SEND Information, Advice & Support Service SENDIASS

Formerly known as Parent Partnership. It’s really important to talk to your child’s school about your worries. Information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and their parents and carers. You may also want to contact your local IASS (or google SENIDASS and your local authority name).

Social skills and friendships

These books give some useful ideas about how to help children understand and develop friendships.

• The unwritten rules of friendship; simple strategies to help your child make friends by E Kennedy-Moore & N Madorsky Elman
• Friends Forever: How Parents Can Help Their Kids Make and Keep Good Friends by Fred Frankel

Support with meltdowns and developing problem solving skills

The book The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene is a useful resource for teaching “collaborative problem solving skills” i.e. the skills young people need to solve problems more flexibly and in ways that take into account their own and other’s needs and wishes.

Autism Assessment team helpline

This helpline provides additional advice, support or signposting for people who have been referred and are waiting for their assessment.

Tel: 0118 904 6425

Email: CYPAATadmin@berkshire.nhs.uk