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Health Matters
“Autism is one of those words that people have heard but very few understand”
It comes under the more generic term of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and typically appears in the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, symptoms include disabilites and
Therapies
“With treatment and therapy can Autism be cured?”
As autism diagnosis rates increase the debate continues as to whether it is in fact more prevelant or just being over diagnosed. The debate about what causes autism is just as emotional and political with many people having strong beliefs about what caused autism in their
Education
“Mainstream school, Specialist school, 1-1 support and Residential. What are the options?”
Getting the right support for your child through the school years is crucial to getting the best possible foundation for their future.
While this is true for all children, for those with additional and special needs it is even more critical as
Support
”You are not alone. So who can help?”
The Autism Directory was created because parents do not need to feel isolated and on their own. There is help and support out there, but if people don’t know where it is, or how to access it, then it is of no benefit to them .
Residential Care
This is a relatively new category that we have added to The Autism Directory.
Residential Care is anything from long term living arrangements through to respite nights away for both adults and children with Autism. There is a huge demand for these services across the UK and more and more provisions are becoming available.
When we think
Money & Legal
“A special needs child comes with more expenses too. So what’s available to help you?”
It has been proven many times that it is more costly to look after and bring up a child with special needs. Not only do the extra things they need cost more, but often the main carer has to
Recreation
“Want a holiday or just some fun and time out?”
Does the thought of going on holiday fill you with excitement or dread? Out of normal routine in unfamiliar places that are not able to cater for their limited diet, cannot guarantee being escape-proof and don’t understand that we don’t do queues!
And that’s
Autism Friendly
“If only other people understood…”
Have you ever been to a restaurant, hairdressers, shop, leisure centre or anywhere in fact and wished they were more aware of autism?
Sometimes it’s not an issue. Other times when you are having a challenging moment, or just anticipating a meltdown, you just wish someone would understand and
Resources
There is just so much to know but where to start? When you begin to research autism and what information there is available you can very soon become overwhelmed by it all. We hope that this website has gone some way to making sense of it as there is so much you can
Autism Charities
All across the UK there are charities and charitable societies that exist to help and support autism families. Some are national and autism specific, such as the National Autisitc Society (NAS), some are national and broader than just autism, such as Cerebra, and then there are hundreds, if not thousands, of smaller charities and non-profit
Events
“What’s happening that I can go to for help, support, information, advice or training to help me on this autism journey?”
All over the UK there are events going on to help families in thier journey with autism, and what you can get from attending any event is not just the information you go along for,
Magazines & Books
Magazines The LIME Magazine is THE resource for Parents and Carers of Children with Special Needs A quarterly positive parenting magazine aimed at families with young children on the autism spectrum. The NAS Members Magazine The Autism File is a quarterly magazine dealing with all aspects of autism. SEN Magazine the UK’s leading Special Educational
Autism Research
There is quite a bit of research currently being done across the UK into various aspects of Autism. From continued research into finding a potential cause, possible future treatments, and other wide and varied aspects of understanding more about it.
A lot of this research is done in Universities and some other Research Organisations, and we hope
Politics
Often feel that you’re on your own? While we live with autism every day it is sometimes good to know that even among the often too distant world of politics you are not forgotten. In recent years there have been many debates about autism among UK politicians.
The Autism Act, the first disability specific
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