Education and Training Awards 2020

Best AutismTraining & Support Consultancy - Suffolk Support for those with Autism SpectrumDisorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be difficult to find, but the team at the appropriately titled Autism & ADHD have gone above and beyond to support those need help the most in trying circumstances. With a flexible approach, they’ve achieved great things for the community, which why they have been recognised in this year’s Education and Training Awards. ASD and ADHD can be challenging things to live with, and there is no blanket system of support that will help everyone. Each case must be taken as unique and individual. For the team at Autism & ADHD, this is a challenge that they are more than willing to rise to. Designed as a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, Autism & ADHD provides information, support & training for people of all age groups living and working with ASD and ADHD. There is no formal diagnosis required and no file that is closed. As long as support is necessary and appropriate, the team are able to engage with the needs of whoever comes to them for help. As ASD and ADHD can be an immensely complex topic, the team have committed to making it as easy to understand as possible. There are many courses and training sessions that are available, but some are full of medical research and jargon that isn’t accessible to many. Autism & ADHD have developed their own ‘journey of understanding’ that allows people to connect their struggles with ASD and ADHD. In this way, people can make their own progress that their own pace. For many, this approach allows them to find a safe place where they can relate and explore real issues. The innovative approach that characterises the work of Autism & ADHD is the team’s ability to listen and react to current fears and concerns, reacting to them in a real way. All of the team are highly trained in their fields, with real lived experience. For those who are being trained, whether groups of families, adults, schools, businesses or social care organisations, what is made clear is that understanding goes both ways. Based in Suffolk and working at a global capacity, the team have been on the frontline of demand for these services, with SEN families growing rapidly and an underfunded system struggling to react quickly to the need for a quick reaction. Many families have been left fighting for a diagnosis, access to support and funding, education and employment. It’s the perfect storm, but the work that Autism & ADHD do has been paramount in rectifying the situation. Looking forward, the future seems bright for the team at Autism & ADHD. Having established themselves as a name that can be trusted in the region, they are exploring new and exciting ways of interacting with more people. Recently, the team launched a new online organisation called My ND Place, to “Inspire those living or working with Neuro Diversity to have the confidence to support and celebrate individuality”. It will offer the most up to date training and resources to take inclusion to the next level. One of the driving forces that truly sets Autism & ADHD apart from the crowd is that is doesn’t just exist in the short term. Its work is not just aimed at helping people now, but sowing the seeds that will allow the next generation to have an even better experience. What has been established is a strong value-driven community, which ensures that things will get better. For many years, those who have ASD and ADHD have been left to fend for themselves. Autism & ADHD was designed to change this and has achieved remarkable things with care and patience and kindness. It stands apart as a template for how this work could, and should, be done. Company Name: Autism & ADHD Contact Name: Dr Annie Clements (Hons) Web Address: www.autismandadhd.org Jun20337 Designed as a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, Autism & ADHD provides information, support & training for people of all age groups living and working with ASD and ADHD. Looking forward, the future seems bright for the team at Autism & ADHD. Having established themselves as a name that can be trusted in the region, they are exploring new and exciting ways of interacting with more people.