About TreeHouse
Purpose
Established in 1997 by a group of parents, The TreeHouse Trust (TreeHouse) is a national charity which exists to improve the lives of families affected by autism through piloting, evaluating, delivering and disseminating innovative, evidence-based ideas and interventions. The main objectives of the charity are:
Education: To provide facilities and services for education, integration and guidance of children diagnosed with autism and other related communication disorders;
Parent Support: To provide help and guidance to parents of children with autism; and
Dissemination: To promote a greater knowledge and understanding of people with autism knowledge amongst the public and those concerned with their education.
Autism
Autism is a serious life long condition. It now affects as many as 1 in 110 children in the UK. Autism is marked by difficulties in communicating and forming relationships with people. Children with severe autism are often disruptive and unpredictable. They can scream piercingly if anyone tries to approach and can do shockingly harmful things to themselves and anything, or anybody, who enters their space. Aloneness can dominate all behaviour.
The cost of autism
The emotional cost of autism for families and the autistic person cannot be measured. The social cost of autistic disorder in the UK is at least £1 billion annually (cost of education, institutional care and related social services), and the average additional lifetime cost per person is £2.9 million. Currently only 7% is spent on education, yet even a moderate increase in this area would potentially lead to major savings in later life.
Ongoing funds required
Generations of children with autism are not reaching their potential because of lack of investment in autism education. Without this they will be dependent on society to fund and care for them for the rest of their lives. Yet so much of this long-term expenditure could be avoided. With the right investment in early intervention we really can make a difference for all children with autism.
Fundraising is very important to TreeHouse as we require over £1,000,000 in voluntary contributions each year, to continue our work. Without charitable support, TreeHouse could not maintain its intensive teaching and high quality resources offered to existing pupils or provide a nationally relevant solution to a growing national problem.
How you can help
The most valuable support that you can give to TreeHouse is a regular donation. By giving monthly, the amount you donate is manageable for you as it is spread throughout the year. It also means we can plan ahead with confidence as we know how much support we will be receiving.
If you prefer, a one-off donation is a very precious gift. Your support brings us closer to our ambition to share our pioneering work for the benefit of every child with autism in the UK.
If you are a UK taxpayer, TreeHouse can claim an additional 28p in every £1 you donate. This is the tax that you have already paid to the government. All you need to do is sign the Gift Aid Declaration and we do the rest.
TreeHouse would be delighted to speak to you about these or any other ideas you may have to get involved with our work. Please contact us by telephone or email, and also see our website for more information www.treehouse.org.uk
Our history
TreeHouse was founded by a group of north London parents, including the author Nick Hornby, whose children had been recently diagnosed with autism. Told there was no cure or medical treatment, the parents were advised that intensive education was the only intervention that would improve their children's outcomes. Devastated by this prognosis the parents approached their local authorities to secure the specialist education their children needed, only to be told that nothing existed.
Determined that their children should receive the specialist education that would make a difference to their quality of life, the parents decided to start their own school. Realising that all children with autism in the UK were similarly disadvantaged they also made a commitment to address the national problem. The school selected a teaching approach called Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) that has been rigorously evaluated and proven to be extremely effective in teaching children with autism. Other parents soon enquired about places and TreeHouse has moved six times to accommodate more pupils. The level of interest was unprecedented and visits were made from HRH Princess Anne and Cherie Blair, and TreeHouse helped establish two new schools.
TreeHouse remained in temporary accommodation until 2004 when a suitable site was purchased. TreeHouse is now fulfilling its aims as the national charity for autism education: the flagship school is improving outcomes for children with autism and provides a model for other autism education providers; the training and consultancy service runs accredited courses, provides advice and information, and supports emerging services; and policy and campaigning ensures that autism education maintains a high profile.
A one-off appeal for £11.5 million is being launched to build a permanent home on our site - a National Centre for Autism Education - that will house all our services and be the UK base for excellence in autism education.