How We Help
Autism Bedfordshire is an independent charity that has been supporting autistic people across the county since 1991. During this time, we’ve expanded and developed our services to help improve the lives of literally thousands of autistic people and their families in Bedfordshire. Our services help break down the barriers to social participation for autistic people and their families by providing a range of specialist social activity groups where autistic children, young people and adults can go and feel comfortable, valued and not judged by society. With the encouragement and support of specialist trained staff we help autistic people build their confidence, self-esteem, and social skills through taking part in social activities and mixing with other people. Furthermore, we provide personal development opportunities for these individuals to help them to develop practical skills and independence which will improve their prospects in life and help them be part of the community.
The physical and emotional stress of looking after an autistic child or adult is a huge strain on the parents and we want them to feel that they are not alone in their struggles. They can come to us for practical advice, information and emotional support so that they will be better equipped to cope with and care for their autistic children and any other siblings. We provide opportunities for them to have a guilt-free break from their caring responsibilities, safe in the knowledge their autistic child is being well looked after by staff who understand the challenges that autism can present.
Finally, we raise awareness of autism in the community in order to reduce misunderstanding about the condition. Through training and informative talks we educate parents/carers and other family members, practitioners, services, schools, individuals, businesses, and community groups about the sort of behaviours that an autistic person may display and how best to respond to and be supportive of them. With our increasing presence at community events, members of the public can also become more knowledgeable about and accepting of autism. In this way we hope that autistic people will find it easier to engage with and integrate into mainstream society.
Recommended for You
Autism West Midlands have produced some useful information sheets that are free, downloadable PDFs that you can print off easily from your computer.
They contain practical advice and strategies for families, carers, teachers and other professionals, visit their website here
We’d love to keep in touch and send you regular updates. These will include details of activities and events for people with autism, news about our services, fundraising updates, information on training, etc.
If you’d like to receive these, please click here.
Local and National Services
Voluntary Organisations
Bedford & District Cerebral Palsy Society
Centre for Youth & Community Development
Education
Central Bedfordshire SEND Parent, Children and Young Person Partnership Service
Bedford Borough SEND Advice Service
Health
Parent Carer Forums
Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum
Local Authority
Bedford Borough Council Local Offer
Central Bedfordshire Council Local Offer
Luton Borough Council Local Offer
National Organisations
Parentline is a secure and confidential text service for parents and carers of those aged 0-19. Provided by Bedfordshire Community Health Services it offers advice and support on a range of issues such as weaning, sleep and emotional health or how to make an appointment with our team. This is also a great mechanism to find out how to access other local services.
Simply text 07507 331456 with your question to start the conversation – the team will be there to answer your queries from 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
For young people aged 11-19 years old, there is ChatHealth, a text service where young people can get advice from the school nursing team. Find out more about ChatHealth here.
Donations
Every donation will help us to help others…
could fund an initial phone call to a newly diagnosed person/their family.
could provide an adult, who lacks social skills, the opportunity to attend one of our social groups and build their confidence.
could fund two specialist workers to support autistic young people (age 10 – 17 years) at one of our Wanted Fun sessions.
could fund one evening youth club session, benefitting 10 autistic young people
could provide 15 autistic children the opportunity to go to the zoo and share the same life experiences as others their age.
Frequently asked questions
By law, each local authority has to provide an online special needs directory known as a ‘Local Offer’ which details all available services to those with a special need or with a family member with special needs. The local offers for the three unitary authorities for the county of Bedfordshire can be accessed below:
An Education, Health and Care plan (“EHC plan”) is a legal document which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve. An EHC plan can only be issued after a child or young person has gone through the process of an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
For further information on EHC Plans and the assessment process, please visit the following website https://www.ipsea.org.uk/
Due to high demands across the county, we are currently holding waiting lists for all our term-time LOAF and Wanted Fun groups. Please contact us directly if you would like to be added to a waiting list.
Most of our services do have fees associated. However costs do vary depending on the service. To access some of our services (not all) you may also need to become a member of Autism Bedfordshire. Lifetime membership is currently charged at £20.
This is dependent on the service and the funding criteria. For our core services such as LOAF, Wanted Fun and Summer Scheme you do need to live in Bedfordshire. Our helpline and some of our parent training is accessible for all.
To access most of our services (not all) you will need to become a member. For further details and to download a membership form please click here
If you would like to receive information on our services without becoming a member then please complete our online form, here
Please visit our Parent/Carer training page for current opportunities
We realise that the diagnostic process can be very lengthy and therefore we do not require a formal diagnosis to be in place in order to access our services. We offer a variety of support and opportunities which are specifically tailored to support autistic young people and their families.
If you feel your child is on the autism spectrum, there are a variety of professionals you can speak to who will be able to make a referral for assessment. Along with your GP there are also other professionals who may be able to make a referral for assessment dependant on your local diagnostic pathway. These could include speech and language therapists, SENCOs, Early Years Teams, Educational Psychologists and Autism Advisory teachers.
For further information, please take a look at the National Autistic Society’s information below on diagnosis
If you suspect that you or someone that you know has autism and you would like to seek a diagnosis then the first step is to speak with your GP or another health professional to ask for a referral to the Bedfordshire Adult Autism Service.
For more information visit the Bedfordshire Adult Autism Service website .
Yes, for more information visit our membership page
All of our services are heavily subsidised but some do require a small contribution. More details can be found on the service pages. How can I access your services?
To access any of our services you need to contact us in the first instance and we will then send you an application form to complete. To access our services you need to have a diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s syndrome and be a member of the charity.
