You're probably here for one or a number of these reasons:

• You have concerns or questions about your child's development, wellbeing, communication and interaction and want to find out more
• Your child has been referred for a possible ASD/ADHD diagnosis and you don't know what this means for your child and you
• You've just received a recent diagnosis for your child but you feel in the dark about what this really means and how to support your child
• You've identified that your child has challenges in certain situations and you're looking for support to understand why and ways you can make adaptions and help
• Someone has told you they think your child may be autistic or 'on the spectrum'. You're not sure and you would prefer to read up on it for yourself

Our approach

Our Portal has been designed and created with and for parents and carers. Our approach is child-led and we strive always to respect and listen to neurodivergent voices and perspectives.

Research and feedback from autistic adults shows that the majority of autistic people prefer the use of identity first language – ie. ‘autistic person’ rather than ‘person with autism’, as this is a reflection of them seeing their autism as an integral part of who they are, rather than something that is an add-on or can be separated from them.

In respect of this, you will see that we use identity first language throughout the portal.

However, we also respect that this is an individual choice and everyone has their own preferences, so when interacting with someone 1:1, we will check their preference first.

Our content

The content you will access here has been developed using information from our own clinical practice, evidence-based approaches and our own lived experiences. We have also drawn from articles and insights from autistic advocates and their families. Our sources are referenced throughout and should you need it, we can always recommend further reading.

We know that finding accurate, consistent information and guidance can be a real minefield, so we have tried to do some of the legwork for you. We aim to signpost you to the best information out there and continually update it to make it as definitive a source as possible.

To keep it simple we have used four broad categories for the content:

1. Understanding my child
2. Supporting my child with education
3. Supporting my child at home
4. Family relationships and sibling support

You can access the portal whenever you need it. If there’s a topic you need more detail on, please always let us know.

We recommend

As well as recommending you build your own knowledge base, we will always strongly recommend you work closely with the people surrounding your child. Impart your knowledge on them and refer them to the resources you access here. By working collaboratively as a team, together you can be more targeted in supporting your child’s individual needs and specific presentations.

And finally...

To ensure we offer you the support and guidance that helps you the most, we need your feedback. Please always let us know how we can improve and additions we can make.