Autism support service to be launched in West Berkshire in the New Year
Single point of contact to access help and advice for children and young people
A SUPPORT service for children and young people with autism and ADHD will be launched in West Berkshire from January.
The service is being launched by Autism Berkshire and Parenting Special Children after they were selected by the Berkshire West NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
A key feature of the service is a single point of contact to access support for autism and ADHD, available via an online contact form, by email or by telephone.
People’s needs will be assessed and then they will be signposted to the appropriate support services.
For parents and carers, services will include:
- Home visits – an in-depth one-to-one discussion with parents or carers.
- Autism advice workshops – understanding autism; managing anger; and meeting sensory needs, from the National Autistic Society (NAS) family seminars programme. Autism Berkshire is a licensed NAS training provider.
- NAS Teen Life courses for parents and carers of autistic children aged 10 to 16.
- ADHD advice workshops – an introduction to ADHD; Anxiety and ADHD; managing ADHD behaviours.
Additional workshops/webinars for parents and carers will cover:
- Autism and Girls, with Berkshire autism advocate Carly Jones MBE; Emotional Regulation; Food Refusal; Sleep Difficulties; Transitions to Adulthood.
Support for children and young people will include:
- Tailored interventions, based on individual need, for children aged five to seven.
- Groups for children and young people aged eight to 16, looking at social interaction skills and strategies to boost wellbeing and independence.
- NAS SocialEyes courses for 17- to 25-year-olds, to further develop social interaction skills and wellbeing and independence in young adults.
Autism Berkshire’s chief executive Jane Stanford-Beale said: “Both charities have been providing services on behalf of the NHS for a number of years and we will build on that experience with the new Berkshire West Autism and ADHD Support Service.
“We want to ensure that local children and young people who are autistic or have ADHD – or are on NHS waiting lists for assessments – and their families get high-quality advice, courses and support.”
Sally Murray, of Berkshire West NHS CCG, said: “We are very pleased that our partnership working with Autism Berkshire and Parenting Special Children will be continued and enhanced.
“Our collaboration provides local children, young people and their families with vital support to make sure they live as full and happy lives as possible.
“This work is more important than ever during the current, and post-Covid climate, as these youngsters and their families deal with the impact this pandemic has had on their lives.”
Information about the service is available at www.autismberkshire.org.uk, by emailing contact@autismberkshire.org.uk or calling (0118) 959 4594 (option 1).
