What support is available for children and young people with autism

In this section:

Information and support for children or young people with autism and their families. 

Health Visitors

Health Visitors work with all Children from Birth to School Entry.  Following a diagnosis of ASD your Health Visitor can be contacted to provide advice and support or to sign post you to appropriate services to meet your child’s needs.

Access Criteria

All pre-school children in Solihull will have a health visiting team in their local area.

Contact

Friars Gate Health Visitors
1011 Stratford Road
Shirley
B90 4BN

  • Telephone: 0121 713 8717

Grove Road Health Visitors
Grove Road Clinic
51 Grove Road
B91 2AQ

  • Telephone: 0121 704 3405

Balsall Common Health Visitors
Balsall Common Health Centre
1 Ashley Drive
Balsall Common
CV7 7RW

  • Telephone: 01676 536850

Chelmsley Wood Health Visitors
CWPCC
Crabtree Drive
Chelmsley Wood
B37 5BU

  • Telephone: 0121 329 0118

Kingshurst Health Visitors
Kingshurst Clinic
Marston Drive
Kingshurst
B37 6BD

  • Telephone: 0121 329 1920

Understanding the sensory needs of children with autism course (provided by Occupational Therapy)

A one-day course to help parents/carers of young people (aged 3 to 16 years) with a diagnosis of autism to understand their child’s sensory needs and identify strategies to support them.

Course materials have been produced by the National Autistic Society and the course is delivered by paediatric occupational therapists at a range of venues in Solihull. Parents/carers are provided with a course booklet that can be shared with other family members.

The course is aimed primarily at parents/carers of young people diagnosed within the last 12 months, although parents/carers of young people with a ‘previous diagnosis’ may also benefit.

Access Criteria

For parents/carers of young people aged 3 to 16 years registered with a Solihull GP and who have a diagnosis of autism.

Contact

Paediatric Occupational Therapy
1st Floor
Chelmsley Wood Primary Care Centre
Crabtree Drive
Chelmsley Wood
Birmingham
B37 5BU

  • Telephone: 0121 722 8010

Working hours are Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm. 

Autism Information Helpline - Autism West Midlands

Thousands of people receive support from their helpline each year, it is often the first port of call for a parent following a child’s diagnosis.

The helpline welcomes calls from parents and carers who live anywhere in the West Midlands to discuss concerns they have about autism (before and after diagnosis). Callers will find experienced, understanding staff who offer a listening ear and who can provide information about autism and local support services. The helpline can also book a face to appointment for a parent/carer at one of the community based advice sessions.

Please note that the Helpline is a very busy but small department that may take several days to respond to requests and your patience is appreciated during this time. This vital service is funded by the generosity of individuals and companies that donate to the charity.

Access Criteria

For parents/carers who live in the West Midlands.

Contact

You can get in touch by:

Advice appointments - Autism West Midlands

Advice Sessions take place in community based venues across the West Midlands and are the chance to speak, face to face, with an experienced practitioner.

Appointments last for 45 minutes and during this time parents and other family members receive advice and guidance about autism, practical strategies and resources to try at home and information about other local services.

Contact

To find out where current advice sessions are please see AWM’s events calendar.

Autism West Midlands events

Support in the home - Autism West Midlands

Support at home on autism specific issues/behaviours (‘sometimes called ‘family outreach’ or ‘targeted support’) is available.

Support is offered to help parents understand their child’s autism and learn strategies that can support their child. The child must have an autism spectrum diagnosis and parents should usually have attended advice appointments and training. Outreach/targeted support does not involve direct work with the child/young person. To find out if you would benefit from this support please discuss your needs at an advice appointment.

Access Criteria

Referrals must come through SOLAR (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service for those aged 0-19 years, in Solihull).

Training for parents - Autism West Midlands

Courses and workshops for parents are held at various venues across the West Midlands and include introductory awareness sessions, programmes with multiple sessions and workshops on specific topics.

They are an opportunity for parents to learn more about autism and how it affects their child, take home ideas and strategies to try at home and meet other parents and share experiences.

Training courses are advertised on AWM’s events page and bookings taken on-line. Many are free of charge or a small fee is charged.

Access Criteria

 Courses held in our Head Office in Edgbaston can be attended by families who live anywhere in the West Midlands.

For some Solihull courses families need to be referred through SOLAR (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service for those aged 0-19 years, in Solihull).

Contact

Visit the Autism West Midlands website for information. 

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society is a leading UK charity for autistic people (including those with Asperger syndrome) and their families.

They provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for autistic people.

Support available includes a helpline.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

If your child is in school the first point of contact around any difficulties should be the school’s named SENCO.

Access Criteria

The SENCO would have a discussion with any parent of a child on the school roll around concerns.

Contact

Through your child’s school reception.

Specialist Inclusion Support Service Autism Team

When a child receives a diagnosis of Autism, then you will be asked if you would like your child to be referred to the Autism Team.

If your child has received a diagnosis at the Specialist Assessment Service then your child’s school SENCO/ Lead for Autism will signpost you to the support provided by the SISS Autism Team.

If your child was diagnosed privately, or from a diagnostic centre outside of Solihull, please ask your school SENCO to chat to the named teacher in the school so that we can plan this intervention for your child.

If your child attends a school that is outside of Solihull, or attends an Independent School, support will differ, as out of borough schools will use their own specialist teams and Independent Schools make their own arrangements for specialist support.

Every mainstream school in Solihull has a named teacher from the SISS Autism team. The SENCO in your child’s school or the SISS main office can tell you who this is. Once your child is on the main caseload of the team, there is a range of levels of support that your child may receive.

In Solihull, all schools are able to access the Autism Education Trust (AET) training which provides all staff with targeted and up-to-date training about Autism. Schools are also encouraged to audit their autism support using the AET National Standards. 

In Solihull, many schools have a ‘Lead for Autism’ who will be able to support you and your child with information specific to your child’s school. They can also provide support and advice and liaise with school staff if necessary. For those schools without a current ‘Lead for Autism’ then the school SENCO would be the best person to speak to initially.

Contact

Specialist Inclusion Support Service
Elmwood Place
37 Burtons Way
Smiths Wood
Birmingham
B36 0UG

Solihull SENDIAS

Solihull SENDIAS Service (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support) is available to support children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers.

The vision for the service is that children and young people with SEND, and their parents/carers, will be more aware of their entitlements, the options available and will be able to make informed decisions.

Information, advice and support for children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers will be impartial, free to access, accurate, confidential, comprehensive and easily accessible/understandable.

Access Criteria

Children and young people aged 0-25, who live in, or attend school in Solihull, or are registered with a Solihull CCG GP.

Contact

School Nurse

The fundamental aim of the school nursing service is to maximise the health and wellbeing of all children and young people of school age to enable them to make the most of their educational and wider social opportunities. The objectives of the service are to:

  • ensure children have a smooth transition into school and from primary to secondary school, building on the early years support to ensure they are ready to learn and continuing to lay down the foundations for healthy lifestyles which will prepare them for adulthood.
  • manage the interaction between health and education so that the child or young person enjoys good health and well-being therefore achieving optimal education.
  • work in partnership with parents, carers, specialist health professionals and others to develop in-school care plans for pupils with complex health needs and long term conditions, including provision of education and training for carers and school staff where necessary.

Access Criteria

The service covers maintained schools and academies and includes child health surveillance, health promotion, health protection and health improvement and support outlined in the Healthy Child Programme 5-19 but not vaccinations.

School nursing services for children and young people in special schools is not included in this generic service as this is the responsibility of the Clinical Commissioning Group.

However, there will be a requirement for good communication and partnership working to ensure that the health and wellbeing needs of school aged children are met regardless of educational setting.

All parents of electively home educated children will receive a letter explaining the services offered by the School Nursing service and advertising contact details for those parents who wish to access services.

Contact

School Nursing North Team
Bishop Wilson Clinic
Chelmsley Wood
B37 7TR

  • Telephone: 0121 770 1919

School Nursing South Team
Friars Gate
1011 Stratford Road
Shirley
Solihull
B90 4BN

  • Telephone: 0121 746 4550

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy

Paediatric Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) provide assessment, advice and treatment to children & young people who a communication difficulty. Our support aims to ensure children and young people are able to communicate functionally within their home and school environments.

We  support children in a range of settings according to their communication needs, including community clinics, school and the child’s home environment,  working  closely with with parents, teachers and with other professionals (for example specialist teaching practitioners).

The Speech and Language Therapist will assess your child’s communication in the most appropriate setting. Then, depending on the specific needs of your child we may provide:

  • specific advice and written recommendations
  • information to schools about how to support children who are experiencing difficulties understanding and using spoken language at home and in school
  • individual and/or group intervention

Support to establish alternative and augmentative communication methods.

Access criteria

  • Solihull GP registrant.
  • School-aged children must have communication needs requiring direct support from SLT.
  • Looked After Children (LAC) - children in foster care who are under the care of Solihull Children’s Services will be seen regardless of GP registration for assessment of communication need, unless the foster carer’s address is prohibitively far to attend necessary appointments. These children will be transferred to their local SLT service. Children in foster care who are under the care of other boroughs but living in foster care in Solihull will be seen regardless of GP registration if clinically appropriate.

Contact

Speech and Language Therapy
Children’s Community Therapy Services
Chelmsley Wood Primary Care Centre
Birmingham
B37 5BU

  • Telephone: 0121 722 8010

Your SENCO or Autism Lead within your child’s school may be able to introduce you to other families at the school if it’s considered appropriate to do so. 

Through attending workshops offered by services including SISS and Occupational Therapy you will have the opportunity to meet other parents of children with autism who are also attending.

Family Information Service directory

 

The Family Information Service have a wealth of information and advice on choosing childcare (including accessing 2, 3 and 4 year old funding), finding activities for your children and helping you to access any support you may need.

Safe Space

Safe Space offers support to parents with additional needs and includes regular support meetings, talks and training.

North Solihull Additional Needs Group offers support to parents with additional needs and includes regular support meetings, talks and training.

All Age Autism Support Service Directory

The All Age Autism Service Directory enables autistic people, their families and carers to find support services in Birmingham and Solihull.

The directory has been co-produced with experts by experience to provide a single point of access for support services in Birmingham and Solihull. The easy navigation includes a search function using key words, category or locations and an accessibility bar.

Autism West Midlands (partner in SOLAR)

Autism West Midlands can provide individual advice appointments to parent/carers to help them understand their child’s autism, signposting to local support groups. They also offer:

  • a range of training courses for parent/carers from one day autism awareness course to 6 session programmes where local parent networks of support can develop
  • workshops for young people with autism, similarly local support networks can develop

Our Birmingham helpline is accessible to all across the West Midlands and provides advice and information on a range of autism related issues and signposting to local groups

Solihull SENDIAS

Solihull SENDIAS Service (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support) is available to support children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers.

The vision for the service is that children and young people with SEND, and their parents/carers, will be more aware of their entitlements, the options available and will be able to make informed decisions.

Information, advice and support for children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers will be impartial, free to access, accurate, confidential, comprehensive and easily accessible/understandable.

Access Criteria

Children and young people aged 0 to 25, who live in, or attend school in Solihull, or are registered with a Solihull CCG GP.

Contact

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society is a leading UK charity for autistic people (including those with Asperger syndrome) and their families.

They provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for autistic people.

Support available includes a helpline.

Social Care for adults with autism

For general information, advice and support adults with autism can access the Community Advice Hubs,  located in Chelmsley Wood Library and Solihull Connect at The Core in Solihull town centre. The Community Advice Hubs are available every weekday to discuss and support your needs and the needs of the person you care for.

The two Community Advice Hubs bring together a partnership of local organisations. They provide high quality information, advice and support to help you find and use the services you want for your care needs.

If you are an adult over 18 years old and permanently live in Solihull, you can use the service to find help to:

  • meet your own needs and circumstances
  • meet the needs of the person you care for
  • find solutions to your issues
  • make referrals to services on your behalf

The hubs also aim to support you with:

  • living independently
  • enjoying good health and wellbeing
  • using local services and organisations to improve your life

You can ask for a social care assessment if you think you have social care needs

Contact

You can contact the hubs by:

The Local Offer

The local offer provides information to children and young people with disabilities and their families.

This information should help you to know what support and services are available in Solihull and to make informed choices about your education, health, care and transition to adulthood.

Children’s Disability Benefits Support

It is difficult to provide generic advice on what financial support is available as each family’s financial circumstances will be different.

Support is available to families to check their eligibility for benefits and financial support that they may be entitled to because a child in the family has a disability, make a claim, support appeals, supply appropriate information, check for extra benefits/grants, premiums and advise on rules of entitlement affected by a change of circumstance.

Support will be provided in relation to Disabled Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Family Fund applications, and Blue Bade applications, and other related financial support.

Access Criteria

The service is for families of children and young people living within the borough of Solihull.

Contact

The service is provided by Age UK through the Community Advice Hubs and can be contacted by:

Ambitious About Autism Toolkit

Ambitious about Autism have recently launched their Include Autism toolkit.  The toolkit has been co-produced with their Youth Council and is designed to help more autistic young people access youth groups and extracurricular activities.

The free toolkit includes lots of helpful advice to increase understanding of autism, as well as tips on small adjustments that can make youth groups much more welcoming places for autistic young people.  

Solihull Children’s Community Therapies

The Solihull Children’s Community Therapies website offers children and young people who live in the Solihull area a wide range of therapy services for those that may be experiencing difficulties with communication, physical movement or general everyday activities, or difficulties that may indicate an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

All Children’s Community Therapies are based at Chelmsley Wood Primary Care Centre. To get in touch please call 0121 722 8010.