World Autism Acceptance Week is back from 31st March to 6th April 2025. SPARKS parent support group is excited to raise Autism awareness and share how parents can help others, by organising a 10KM walk with the children. Please come and join us in the walk and show your support. We are doing 2 separate walks this year

Our Harrow walk - Sunday April 6, 2025 0930-1530 Headstone Manor, Pinner View Harrow, HA2 6PX

Our Liverpool walk - Sunday April 6, 2025 1100-1500 Grant Ave, Wellington Road, Liverpool L15 4LE

Our Surrey Walk - Sunday April 13, 2025 1130-1400 The Cheam Park & Recreation Group, 1 Cheam Park Way, Cheam, Sutton SM3 8BP

SPARKS is a UK based parent support group, started in 2018 from Harrow. It helps families of neurodiverse children with Neuro Developmental Disorders (such as Autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, etc). Since Covid 19, we are supporting parents from Sri Lanka, Canada, France and few other countries. We parents are united in our mission of being empowered to achieve resilience in ourselves and our children. We work together with friends, volunteers and professionals in our community. We are promoting children’s development to achieve their potentials & live independent lives. Reaching the goal of achieving resilience in our children is a difficult task. However, working together in a supportive community, we will be resilient to achieve our dreams.

Our activities and progress - Activities and services offered free for the benefit of parents, children and siblings

* WhatsApp/Signal Groups: We have WhatsApp/Signal groups supporting 300 parents as members. Parents assist each other by sharing information, training slides, and resources. This fosters a sense of mutual empathy among mothers, helping them feel less alone and fostering sisterly bonds, trust, and hope.

* Weekly Training: SPARKS founding, Consultant Paediatrician conducts fortnightly training sessions in Tamil and English to empower parents by sharing knowledge about various conditions, reasons for developmental delays, management strategies and answers to parental questions. Every other week parent leaders conduct the training and facilitate parents to share good ideas or learning from books.

* Telephone Support: Consultant Paediatrician provides telephone support and management guidance when needed anywhere in the world.

* Experienced Parent Network: We have a network of experienced parents who offer advice and support by phone to new parents and others in need. Many new parents to SPARKS initially feel alone and lack confidence in managing their child, and we provide them with necessary support they develop positive attitude to consider their child as a gift and manage their child effectively.

* Weekly Children’s Group Sports Activity: We organize weekly group sports activities for children to promote play, fun, and social interaction. These activities facilitate children’s development and provide opportunities for families to socialize and support each other.

* Library of Resources: We offer a library of books, training videos, and useful materials for parents to borrow, learn from, and share with others.

* Consultation with Consultant Paediatrician: Children are assessed by a Consultant Paediatrician when needed to provide a second opinion and guidance. This helps parents understand diagnosis and identify any associated problems & enabling implementation of proper management strategies.

* Sibling Support: Group support is offered to siblings. Some families also go on holiday together with other families, supporting each other to have fun and enjoyment.

* Enrichment Activities: We offer Bollywood dance, art classes, and vocal music practice sessions for both children and parents.

* Special Needs Teacher Support: A special needs teacher provides sensory, motor, and social skill training to children.

*Art class conducted twice a month: Art therapist conduct art class for parents, volunteers, professionals and children. This promotes creativity, relaxation and enjoyment by appreciating their talent.

Many parents have been empowered, feel positive, improved confidence, identify their gaps and learning to work effectively to develop their children. Children are progressing and developing better than before joining SPARKS. Children are performing well, have obtained awards and made new friends. Parents and children are happy, enjoying the company of SPARKS families to demonstrate on-going development of resilience.

Your donations / volunteering can help overcome difficulties of SPARKS parents to transform lives of neurodiverse children so they can develop well, contribute positively, be part of society to build a brighter future for all. Families have a long way to go! With your help, children can develop quicker, and the world can reap the benefits of hidden talents from parents and children.

Contact Us

info@childsparks.org | www.childsparks.org