The Family Support service has now changed and to ensure sustainability we had to decommission Family Support for Children, but below are a range of groups and other charities that you can contact to get support and advice.
We will reduce the Family support for adults to 2 days per week and Emilymay Miles will continue to lead the
Adult Services from September 2024, following a pause in August.
A new condensed service for Family Support adults will be available on our website from September and will offer group meetings, email advice, information and online training to autistic adults and their support network.
Useful Links
Please find below some links to other organisations, video's, blogs, apps and many more sites that also provide support.
Provide services to enable children to overcome difficulties with communication, learning and life skills and give families the techniques and strategies to cope with autism through the use of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Child Autism UK also provides training and a network for ABA professionals working with young children.
Child Autism UK
Stand with autistic children and young people, champion their rights and create opportunities. Run specialist education services, an award-winning employment programme and children and young people are at the heart of the charity's decision-making, policy work and campaigning.
They also use their expertise to deliver training and consultancy to a wide range of organisations to improve awareness and understanding of autism.
Autism Aware Mobile Hairdresser
Rianne Young
A fully qualified hairdresser with experience of working with clients on the autism spectrum, adults and children. Aware and mindful of sensory and other needs and works with clients in an individual and personalised way. Covers the Medway and Gravesham areas and will come to your home.
07572 299679 / rianneyoung321@yahoo.co.uk
Supporting families, parents and carers of autistic children in Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh. They hold monthly coffee mornings with a range of speakers to provide information about different areas of support available. It is also a great opportunity to meet and chat others in the same position.
They also run a group at Hythe Youth club every Friday for 11-25 year olds.
Please contact: hello.sasg@outlook.com
Bloggers and interesting articles
These blogs have been recommended through Autistic adults and Parents, if you have any more please send them to emilymay@kentautisitc.com
SNAAP informs, encourages and supports parents and carers. If you have a child between 0-25 who has any special need or disability and you live in the Canterbury district, contact SNAAP. No formal diagnosis or professional referral is required.
Medway Puzzles
A group of parents who formed a new Autistic group called Puzzles. Based in Medway, but cover the whole of Kent. They go out every Friday night with their members to places such bowling, skiing, tobogganing, cinema and much more in term time and daytime in school holidays. Their aim is to bring Families together to share experiences, meet people and spend social time with others who understand them.
Wendy Pearson - Your Autism Mentor
An autism mentor and practitioner providing mentoring support and advice for autistic young people and their families. Working across south east London and west Kent with young people from the age of 10 through adolescence and into adulthood.
Supporting Children’s Emotional Health & Wellbeing Video
Jodie from the child health team, talks about how we can improve our own emotional wellbeing and how it impacts those around us as well as looking to support individuals to improve their wellbeing, exploring useful tools such as PERMA, Active listening supporting individuals to discuss their emotions. The video helps promote self care and resillience whilst supporting complex individuals.
12 Fast Facts About Autism For Kids Video
We help parents understand their autistic children and create healthy supportive environments. By combining the experience of an adult on the Spectrum with a single mum who lives this stuff every day, we set you on the path to regain family harmony and actually enjoy time with your kids!
Clever Kids Consultancy and Clinic
Clever Kids is a specialist independent therapy practice providing paediatric Occupational Therapy assessment, advice and treatment, as well as training and consultancy services. They also provide paediatric Physiotherapy and Speech & Language Therapy services through affiliated therapists.
Shout
Young people can text free on 85258.
Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. They have trained Shout volunteers and are available to help anyone with depression, anxiety, abuse, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, relationship problems and bullying.
The Mix
Provides support and information for the under 25’s on a range of topics including, mental health, substances, your body, relationships and others. Also has a free phone number: 0808 808 4994.
The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. To help you take on any challenge you’re facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to them via the online community, on social, through their free, confidential helpline or counselling service.
Internet Safety and Safeguarding - Tutor Hunt
While the Internet can be a great resource for Children, parents should be aware of what their child is accessing online. This webpage will help guide parents and adults with Internet Safety awareness, support and tools to prevent children accessing harmful material online such as inappropriate content, cyberbullying, online predators and sexual harassment.
Autism & ADHD Parent Support UK CIC
A registered not-for-profit organisation supporting parents across the UK online and in person in Kent. They provide a range of services including DLA/PIP application support, 1:1 Coaching, Online parent support groups and Facebook Community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/autismadhdparentsupportuk) to mention a few.
They also have our in-person parent support group each Monday (term-time) 10am-11.30am at The Howard Venue Swanley and will be introducing a monthly evening session too. For more info email contact@aaps-uk.org