Autism Berkshire is inviting parents and carers of autistic young people in Buckinghamshire to express an interest in attending our online autism advice workshops, on a fee-paying basis. We often receive requests to take part in our workshops from people living in the counties around Berkshire, but NHS funding rules mean that we cannot offer them places, We want to gauge the likely level of demand if we charge for places and are considering running a short course about supporting autistic teenagers, costing £50 per family (a parent/main carer could be joined by a grandparent, for example). The ..read more

Autistic adults can get advice about aspects of autism and navigating daily life and social situations at another series of free online workshops from the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service, starting next week. The aim of these sessions is to help participants to improve their understanding of autism and increase their self-confidence. Please note that you must be aged 18+, with an autism diagnosis or waiting for assessment, and be registered as a patient with an NHS GP surgery in Berkshire to take part in these workshops. The workshops available, which will take place using Zoom on Tuesda ..read more

Autism Berkshire is delighted to be able to invite autistic adults who live in the county to take part in more free Art in the Summer workshops, funded by donations in memory of the late Nancy England, a former assistant tutor on our community education courses. The workshops will once again take place at Beech Lodge School, in Stubbings Lane, on the western edge of Maidenhead, on the following Monday evenings, between 6pm and 8pm: May 13 & 20; June 3, 10, 17 & 24; July 1, 8 & 15. They will be led by expert tutor Susi Hoyle, of Art Splash, which specialises in helping people to dra ..read more

We are working with our friends at employment advice and support charity Graft Thames Valley to run a free autism awareness workshop in Newbury later this month for people whose jobs bring them into contact with autistic people. The aim of the session is to help professionals working in a range of sectors to develop an understanding of what autism is, how it can affect autistic people’s social and communication skills, sensory processing and behaviour, and learn about strategies that they can use to support autistic people. It will be suitable for those with no previous knowledge, or only ..read more

Free places are available for autistic and ADHD children who attend mainstream schools in Years 4 to 8 (ages 8 to 13) to take part in the next Social Interaction Group course from the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service. The course will take place at Tilehurst Community Centre, in The Triangle, following the February school half-term holiday. The aim is to develop the confidence and emotional wellbeing of children and young people through meeting their peers and exploring the social world in a friendly and supportive setting, in a small group. It looks at topics including knowing ..read more

Autism Berkshire’s CEO, Jane Stanford-Beale, will be joining Graft Thames Valley, the Community Mental Health Team for West Berkshire and Sport in Mind at their monthly outreach advice session at Broadway House in Newbury this Friday, January 19. Jane will be available from noon to 1.30pm to advise autistic adults about how the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service can help them – if you are able to, please email adult.support@autismberkshire.org.uk in advance so she knows to expect you, or drop in. Staff from the other organisations will be available at the town centre venue, which is in The ..read more

Autistic adults can get advice about aspects of autism and navigating daily life and social situations at a series of free workshops from the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service starting later this month. The aim of these sessions is to help autistic participants to increase their understanding of autism and increase their confidence. Please note that you must be aged 18+, with an autism diagnosis or waiting for assessment, and be registered as a patient with an NHS GP surgery in Berkshire to take part in these workshops. The workshops available, which will take place on Tuesday evenings be ..read more

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is launching a specialist county-wide CAMHS Learning Disability Team next month. The aim of the project is to improve access to mental health support for children and young people in the county who have a moderate or severe learning disability and ensure that they get specialist care, reflecting their individual needs. The team will start to accept referrals from Monday, January 29, with support available to children and teenagers who are: Aged 5 to 17 and have a diagnosed moderate or severe learning disability, or a significant impairment of int ..read more

An appeal has been launched to help pay for more art workshops for autistic adults in Berkshire. In the summer of 2023, we ran a successful series of workshops at Beech Lodge School, just outside Maidenhead, funded by a donation in memory of Nancy England, a former assistant tutor on our community education courses and a well-known school teacher in the town. Her daughter Sophie, who visited a session in June, is now seeking further donations towards the costs of providing another series of workshops next year. She said: “The workshops this year were a huge success, supporting over a dozen peo ..read more

Autism Berkshire is working with the Royal Berkshire Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership to increase understanding of the experiences of maternity services of autistic mothers and those from minority communities, to improve care and support. The partnership is a parent-led NHS working group that aims to improve neonatal and maternity services provided by the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, working with professionals and other stakeholders to make changes, based on what women and families tell them. Studies have shown that certain groups of people, such as parents with d ..read more