ASD Family Help: support, advice and activities for people with autism and learning disabilities

ASD Family Help is user led charity (non-profit). We offer support, advice & activities for autistic individuals or those with other learning disabilities; their parents, carers or professionals within Wokingham, West Berkshire & Pembrokeshire.
We have family liaison workers who can offer free advice, support and help with DLA/PIP/ESA forms.
We started life as a small support group in 2005, before becoming a charity in 2009 and now cover Wokingham, West Berkshire & Pembrokeshire!
We aim to help improve services for autistic children, young people and adults; their parents, carers & professionals, by raising awareness and acceptance of autism by providing:
- Support to parents/carers through regular drop in sessions
- Free advice and information through email, face-to-face or phone calls
- Social activities for children, young people & families (to include siblings & young carers where possible)
- Social activities for adults
- Training & workshops for parents/carers and professionals
- Life and relationships skills for teens
Some events are age specific and some must be booked in advance. Please see individual events for full details.
NB: For most child sessions we are unable to book new children onto a session, without them first attending a sign up session with a parent. This allows the child to meet some of our staff, see one of our venues and assess whether we are able to meet your child's needs.
For family or child/teen sessions, please contact Rachael@asdfamilyhelp.org
For adult support or parent/carer workshops, please contact Jayne@asdfamilyhelp.org
For DLA/PIP support appointments, please contact Naomi@asdfamilyhelp.org
Contact information
- Website
- ASD Family Help
- Scan to visit this website
- Contact Name
- Rachael Chandler or Jayne McGovern
- Contact Position
- Children & Families Manager and Adult Support Manager
- Telephone
- 07733 601755 07733 601755
-
jayne@asdfamilyhelp.org
rachael@asdfamilyhelp.org - Contact Us
- Contact Us Form
- Social Media
When is it On/Open ?
- Date & Time Information
We run a variety of activities, sessions, training and one to one support for adults (where funding allows)
Please refer to our individual event listings for details or contact our staff for enquiries.
Costs and Fee Information
- Cost details
Activities are on average £4 per child per session Training, workshops and parent support groups are FREE to attend
- Does not accept childcare vouchers
- No help with funding is available
- Funding Notes
This year we are grateful to receive funding from:
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Berkshire Community Foundation
- The Blagrave Trust
- West Berkshire Council
- Greenham Trust
This funding allows us to make every activity affordable or in some cases free to our families.
- How is the service funded
-
Local Authority
Voluntary/Charitable
Facilities and Accessibility
- Facilities
-
Wheelchair access
FREE Activities
FREE Service
Autism friendly
Complaints Procedure
- Contact Name
- Cathy Roberts
- Position
- Manager
- Complaints procedure notes
If your complaint is regarding any children's activity or parent workshops/training please email Rachael@asdfamilyhelp.org
If your complaint is regarding any adult activity or adult support, please email Jayne@asdfamilyhelp.org
You may also email Contact@asdfamilyhelp.org.uk or complete our online complaint form.
- Complaints link
- Complaints form
Accessing this service
- Age Ranges
- All ages
- Eligibility Criteria
We do NOT require you to have a formal diagnosis or a referral to access our services/activities.
Our events are open to all autistic individuals or those with associated conditions (eg. Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, OCD, Anxiety, PDA, ADHD etc)
- Booking / Registration Required
- Yes
- Booking and Registration Notes
Booking required for child sessions via Rachael@asdfamilyhelp.org
Booking required for adult sessions via Jayne@asdfamilyhelp.org
Booking required for DLA/PIP support appointments via Naomi@asdfamilyhelp.org
We also run drop-in sessions that do not require booking - please look at our other activity listings for full details.
Referral
- Referral not required
Provision For
- Supporting people with
-
Children with Additional Needs
Behavioural
Autism Spectrum Conditions
Social Needs
Quality Assurance
- Registered Charity No.
- 1135718
- Accreditation
All staff and volunteers at sessions receive in-house training from ASD Family Help regarding autism awareness and safeguarding (for children & vulnerable adults). Additionally all staff/volunteers are trained in safeguarding via the NSPCC online training portal or Wokingham Borough Council training portal and Prevent Training via the Home Office online.
All staff and volunteers at sessions have enhanced DBS checks.
ASD Family Help holds its own public liability insurance.
Trainers are qualified in or obtaining their qualification in Level 3 Award in Education and Training (PTLLS)
At activities where staff are solely responsible for children, at least one member of staff will hold a paediatric first aid certificate.

Local Offer - Support available for children and young people with additional needs
- Description
We provide a variety of activities for children and young people with additional needs, their parents/carers and professionals.
Currently we provide the following:
- Teen Club for young people aged 12 - 18 years (monthly)
- Multi Sports (fortnightly)
- Teen Life courses for young people (usually once per year)
- Adult Social Group for over 18 years old (once per month)
- Parent/Carer Support Group (weekly)
- Parent/Carer Workshops
No diagnosis required, all welcome.
For child activities, children must be able to access this activity on an adult to child ratio of 1:8. (We are unable to offer one to one support).
All staff and volunteers at sessions receive in-house training from ASD Family Help regarding awareness for children & young people with additional needs and safeguarding. Additionally all staff/volunteers are trained in Safeguarding via the NSPCC online training portal or Wokingham Borough Council training portal and Prevent Training via the Home Office online.
All staff and volunteers at sessions have enhanced DBS checks.
At activities where staff are solely responsible for children, at least one member of staff will hold a paediatric first aid certificate.
The majority of our staff/volunteers have additional needs themselves or family members/children with additional needs.
- Contact Name
- Rachael Chandler
- Contact Telephone
- 07733 601755
- Contact Email
- rachael@asdfamilyhelp.org
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