Parents on the Autistic Spectrum support group was set up to provide a peer-support group for parents who have Autism or Asperger's Syndrome to meet other parents and have a safe place to bring their children to end social isolation. We run from the South Hill Centre in Hemel Hempstead once a month in the centre's crèche room, which is equipped for young children and babies but is also an Autism friendly environment for the parents.

We are the only support group that caters to this client group of its kind in the country, and our numbers are growing month on month.
For some of our parents, the group is the first place they come to after they receive a diagnosis and may be their first time meeting other adults in a similar position. It is a humbling experience to see parents coming to realize that they are not alone in their experiences; they are in a safe place where they can discuss and explore what their diagnosis means to them, how this impacts on their family life and their parenting, and as a result they discover ways to cope and get ideas and information from others like them.

The group is facilitated by social workers who have experience and knowledge of Autism and what is in the local area for them to access for ongoing means of support.

We have been running for 1 year now but require ongoing funding to be able to keep the group going and for it to continue in this perfect venue. Please give what you can, and spread the word - the preventative work this is doing is helping a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise come into contact with social care services.