Parents and carers in Kent and Medway can now attend NHS workshops to learn more about autism to start implementing changes at home before a diagnosis. 

With a focus on looking after the child or young person with neuro-affirming care and use of language, the workshops offer essential information for the understanding of autism, behaviour, anxiety and sleep issues with evidence-backed tools and techniques. 

Local mum, Angela, joined the workshops because she was waiting for an autistic assessment for her 12-year-old daughter. Angela said about the sessions: 

“Before these workshops, I didn’t know very much about autism. We were all struggling a lot as a family and felt no one understood. 

“I have learned so much about how we can do things differently, and how we can adapt the environment to help my child, with the support of highly skilled professionals who are non-judgemental, kind, understanding, extremely caring and helpful and who can answer even the most difficult of questions. 

“Hearing other people’s experiences and questions has been so valuable because now I know we are not alone and there are others whose experiences are very similar. 

“I have developed knowledge and skills to help my daughter at home and at school, with her relationship with her sibling, with all the difficulties she faces with every part of life from the time she wakes up in the morning to going to bed at night and everything in between, including sleeping!

“It has brought me closer to her because I can now see the world through her eyes. I now understand that autism is a spectrum that is not linear and that ‘if you have met one person with autism then you have met one person with autism.’

“I have had so many lightbulb moments learning about neurodiversity and mental health, that my own life has also started to make sense for the first time ever. I am very happy to have been referred by my GP for an autism assessment at 44 years old, and I feel able to ask for the support I need.”

Dr Joshua Nice, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Lead for Autism at NELFT, said: 

“We are trying to reach a large number of people with helpful information and advice, so that people can start adapting their approach and the environment to young people’s needs before they have an assessment. 

“We talk about parental self-care from a compassionate point of view. We try to consider and signpost families to the community resources available.” 

The workshops are open to all parents and carers on the current waiting list but also those who think their child is autistic. If you want to find out more, please email NLDS.APS@nelft.nhs.uk