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 (Support Hope and Resources Online Network)

SHaRON offers support, information and advice. SHaRON 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: gems4health.com

For families who live in or have a GP in Reading, Wokingham or West Berkshire: autismberkshire.org.uk (in the Berkshire West Autism and ADHD section)

Parenting Special Children

Parenting Special Children offer additional support. Visit parentingspecialchildren.co.uk or call 0118 9863532

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 636339.

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)

Part of the Bracknell Forest Council Early Years Team.  We are a small team of professionals who support children from birth to 5 years with a developmental delay or moderate to severe and complex Special Education Needs or medical conditions.  We 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 354171 

Reading

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

Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire

Berkshire West Autism and ADHD Support Service (opens in new window), provide autism support on behalf of the BOB Integrated Care Service. It offers 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 

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). It also offers 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 375071 or email clubs@theautismgroup.org.uk 
Training: For more information, contact Dawn on 07463 337851 or email training@theautismgroup.org.uk 
Parent Support: For more information, contact Tricia on 07423 636339 or email tricia@theautismgroup.org.uk  

West Berkshire

Lizzie Paterson, Autism Advisor for Families
Phone: 01635 503646
Email: Lizzie.Paterson1@westberks.gov.uk 

Windsor & Maidenhead

The Shine Team
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 762253 (Mon-Fri 9am-12pm)
Email: info@theshineteam.com

Wokingham

Autism Spectrum Service for Information, Support and Training (ASSIST)
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: 07707660599
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 

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 

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. 

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

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 and 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” ie 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.

The Berkshire Healthcare 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