Views expressed on this website are not necessarily those of The National Autistic Society and reference to specific services or approaches to autism does not

imply endorsement, nor does the absence of any services or approaches imply that NAS Richmond does not support them.

Images in this website credited to Allan Sears, Alison Sears, and the Microsoft Office plus Bing Clip Art image libraries.

All material © The National Autistic Society (Richmond Branch) 2021 and cannot be reproduced without permission.

NAS Data Protection and Privacy Policy. At The National Autistic Society we are committed to protecting your privacy. Our policy has been written in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. View the NAS Data Protection and Privacy Policy: https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/about-us/website/data.aspx

Website Terms and conditions of use. By using an NAS branch website you agree to be bound by the following Terms and Conditions, which take effect immediately on your first use of any NAS website. View the NAS Terms and Conditions of use for NAS websites: https://www.autism.org.uk/branchtermsofuse

The National Autistic Society HQ. 393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG Tel: 020 7833 2299   Email: nas@nas.org.uk   Website: www.autism.org.uk

INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER ORGANISATIONS

SKYLARKS

As you know, our NAS coffee mornings are held with Skylarks (previously known as Me Too & Co), so we thought we’d tell you more about who they are and what they do.

Skylarks is an independent Richmond-upon-Thames based charity that provides activities and therapies for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. It offers opportunities for children, young people and their siblings to play and develop in a friendly and welcoming environment and also supports and provides therapies, courses and information for the entire family.

For children and young people, Skylarks offers:

Activities

During the play sessions there are opportunities to join in many other activities such as karate, drama, sensory art, singing and signing and story telling sessions. Please visit the Skylarks Activities webpage to read more about them.

Off-site activities and events

Skylarks' special off site activities have included adapted BMX biking, activities in Richmond Park, special church services and ice skating sessions just for their families. Do visit the Skylarks Off-site Activities webpage to find out more.

Therapies

Skylarks offer a diverse range of therapies including developmental 1-1 yoga and music therapy with professional therapists and practitioners. Most of the therapies are free or offered at a very reduced price. Do visit Therapies to find out more.

For parents and carers, Skylarks offers:

Services

These include a benefits advice surgery, SEN legal advice and advocacy plus RUILS Family Matters consultations. Please visit Services to find out more.

Support Groups

These are groups offering parent and carer peer support, including Richmond NAS, SW London Girls Connect, Phyz and more. Do visit Support to find out more.

Therapies

Skylarks are there to support the whole family and know that parents and carers need looking after too. On offer are a range of of therapies, some one-offs, and some over a period of time. Please visit Parent Carer Therapies to find out more.

Training workshops

On offer are a wide range of workshops including information sessions, first aid courses, SEN workshops and much more. Do visit Training to find out more.

For further details, please visit the Skylarks website: www.skylarks.charity

Tel: 07946 646033   Email: info@skylarks.charity

ADHD RICHMOND & KINGSTON SUPPORT GROUP

The ADHD Richmond & Kingston Support Group offers support to parents and carers living in and around the boroughs of Richmond and Kingston who care for a child or young person with ADHD and additional/associated conditions.

The group holds monthly meetings with guest speakers, runs a club for young people and also has fortnightly coffee mornings for parents and carers, which are held at

The Venue, Heatham House, Whitton Road, Twickenham. TW1 1BH

For more information, please contact ADHD Richmond at:

Email: communications@adhdrichmond.org

Website: https://adhdrichmond.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdhdRichmond

SEND INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT SERVICE (SENDIASS)

Kids, a charity that has been delivering services to children, young people and their families for over forty years, now delivers the Special Education and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) across Richmond and Kingston.

You can ask for help with school provision and placements, applications for EHC Plans, interim and annual reviews, support at meetings, general information and advice on a wide range of education related issues, plus SEND information, advice and support. SENDIASS also signposts people to other organisations that offer services within the boroughs of Richmond and Kingston. For more information about the ways in which SENDIASS may be able to help, contact:

Locations

Richmond Office: Windham Croft Centre. 20, Windham Road, Richmond. TW9 2H

Kingston Office: Moor Lane Centre. Moor Lane, Chessington. KT8 2AA

Tel: 020 3793 9596    Email: RichmondKingston@kids.org.uk

To find out more, please visit the Local Offer KIDS SENDIASS webpage.

RUILS FAMILY MATTERS SERVICE

Ruils provide Family Matters, their parents support service, in Richmond and Hounslow. The Parent Support Workers provide practical support, advice and information to families with children with disabilities and/or additional needs who are feeling under pressure or who are experiencing difficulties.

The service’s family support workers aim to help by listening to parents’ worries and experiences in a non-judgmental way, working with them to identify what is working and what is not working, and supporting parents to focus on areas of family life that they find challenging and working with them to identify steps to address some of these difficulties. Parents are also provided with information on activities and services and given support to access them.

To find out more and possibly use the service, please contact:

  Richmond - Surabhi Dhondiyal  Tel: 07376 277779  Email: surabhi@ruils.co.uk

  Richmond - Martha Fong  Tel: 07944 902 794  Email: marthafong@ruils.co.uk

  Hounslow - Alka Tripathi  Tel: 07376 354638  Email: alkatripathi@ruils.co.uk

Further details can be found on the RUILS Family Matters webpage.

SOS!SEN

An independent resource for special educational needs. SOS!SEN provides a free, independent and confidential telephone helpline for parents and others looking for information about special educational needs, and also offers help to those who are having problems with the EHC Plan/statement process. SOS!SEN runs free monthly “surgeries” in Thornton Heath, Aldershot and East Molesey, and twice a month in central London near Waterloo station.

SOS!SEN. Fontenay. 11a, Creek Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9BE

Termtime Helpline: 0300 302 3731 National Helpline 0208 538 3731

Website: https://sossen.org.uk

Contact Us webpage: https://sossen.org.uk/contact_us.php

RUILS FRIENDBEE SEND BEFRIENDING SERVICE

FriendBee is a SEND Befriending Service delivered by Ruils that matches young people with a paid befriender to help them access social and leisure activities. This service currently supports young people up to the age of 25 that have a Special Education Need or Disability (SEND) that impacts their social life, who also live in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames or Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

For more information, please contact Hallie Banish on halliebanish@ruils.co.uk or at

075 0802 2431. Do visit Friendbee SEND Befriending for more information and if you would like to register with RUILS for this service.

RICHMOND USERS INDEPENDENT LIVING SCHEME (RUILS)

RUILS is a service-user group providing support to disabled and elderly people living in this borough. Their services include advocacy, YourSay (a monthly consultation and community group), a recruitment and employment guide, a personal assistant finder, person centred planning for young people, personal assistant training, pooling direct payments (pooling your money with others to get better value for money) and New Horizons (activities bringing people together).

RUILS. Disability & Advice Centre. 4, Waldegrave Road, Teddington. TW11 8HT Website: www.ruils.co.uk   Email: info@ruils.co.uk   Tel: 020 8831 6083

RICHMOND CARERS CENTRE

Richmond Carers Centre offers information and support through a helpline and workshops, runs a Young Carers Project, produces a newsletter, offers complementary therapies, as well as helping carers to apply for grants, etc.

Richmond Carers Centre. 5, Briar Road, Twickenham. TW2 6RB

Carers Support Line: 020 8867 2380

Website: https://www.richmondcarers.org   Email: info@richmondcarers.org

RICHMOND MENCAP

Richmond Mencap’s aims are to improve the lives of children and adults who have learning disabilities and their family carers, providing services and support, representing their interests and campaigning on their behalf. They also raise awareness and understanding and promote social inclusion within the community.

Richmond Mencap. 342, Richmond Road, East Twickenham. TW1 2DU

For more information, please phone: 020 8744 1923

Website: https://richmondmencap.org.uk  Email: office@richmondmencap.org.uk

EXPRESS CIC

Express CIC is a 'not for profit' organisation that is based in the borough of Kingston upon Thames. Express CIC's vision is to create a space where all people with autism and their families can feel welcome and secure in the local community, offering a variety of opportunities, resources, advice and support. These include:

Bi-monthly talks and events at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. Dates vary, so please check Express CIC's Facebook page and newsletter for details.

Mum's Group - First Thursday of the month at the Waggon and Horses pub in Surbiton, 7.30pm to 9.30pm (term time only). All mums, grandmas and female carers of young people with an autism spectrum condition are welcome to attend.

Dad's Group - Second Wednesday of the month at the Waggon and Horses pub in Surbiton, 7.30pm to 9.30pm (term time only). All dads, granddads and  male carers of young people with an autism spectrum condition are welcome to attend.

TYA Group - Third Wednesday of the month at Express CIC's office, 7.30pm to 9.00pm (term time only). A specific support group for parents and carers of young people going through transition and a place where you can share similar experiences dealing with puberty, transition to secondary school, college or work.

Support Group - Last Tuesday of the month at Express CIC's office, 1.00pm to 2.30pm (term time only). An informal group for all parents and carers of young people on the spectrum with lots of support of what worked for you to share.

As well as these support groups, Express CIC also offers other regular groups. To find out more, please visit this Groups@Express webpage where you will also be able to download a referral form to sign up to the group of your choice.

Express CIC. 452, Ewell Road, Surbiton. KT6 7EL

Tel: 020 8390 4273

Email: info@expresscic.org.uk

Website: www.expresscic.org.uk  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExpressCIC/

ACTION-ATTAINMENT

Action-attainment aims to enable children with speech, language, communication and sensory needs to achieve and have active lives. Led by Samantha Silver, the organisation builds on Sam's personal and professional experience of supporting children and their families to have fun and learn in and out of school.

Action-Attainment works directly with families, professionals, schools and with community groups to provide understanding, strategies and opportunities for learning, play and friendships.

Action-Attainment Ltd. 29, St. Leonards Road, London SW14 7LY

Please phone 020 8392 9946 (Mon - Fri, 12.00pm to 4.00pm, term time only)

Website: www.action-attainment.com  Email: tom@action-attainment.com

BRIGHT FUTURES - SEND TRANSITIONS

A new service at Ruils supporting disabled young people aged 16-25 and their families with transitions – social / health / education / work.

A lot changes, or starts to change, for disabled young people when they reach 16.  What happens in the next few years will be the foundation of their adult life.  

There are options to be considered, choices to be made and so many decisions affecting every part of their life. The way forward is not always clear. Young people may know where they want to get to but not how to get there or they may not know where they want to get to because they don’t know what’s available.

The Bright Futures service is there to fill in those gaps!  

To find out more, contact Sue Robson at suerobson@ruils.co.uk and by phone on 07508 530693.   

SOUTH WEST LONDON GIRLS CONNECT

South West London Girls Connect has a private Facebook page created specifically to facilitate networking of parents plus girls and women who have an autism spectrum disorder who live in the South West London area.

The aim is to use the network to share resources, information, events and services that are relevant to girls on the spectrum, plus providing support to their parents and carers. Please email swlondongirlsconnect@gmail.com  if you are interested in joining the group and to be sent a registration form for completion before being invited to join the network.

OTAKAR KRAUS MUSIC TRUST

The Otakar Kraus Music Trust (OKMT) provides music therapy and music projects for children, young people and adults with physical, learning, neurological or psychological difficulties, in the Boroughs of Richmond, Hounslow and surrounding areas.

OKMT's small team is dedicated to making a difference to some of society’s most vulnerable children and adults who are often excluded from community activities.

OKMT provides Music Therapy and works with partners in the local community to run specially devised music projects including Music Club for children up to 12 years old. The OK Music School is unique in South West London, and OKMT has also launched their OK Youth Choir for children with additional needs plus their siblings.

To find out more about what OKMT has to offer, do visit www.okmtrust.co.uk. If you would like to get in touch with OKMT, call them on 07435 062212 or email them at info@okmtrust.co.uk

SEND CARERS COFFEE AND CHAT

Based in Barnes, this friendly, informal parent-led group offers support and mentoring to parents who have a child or young person with any additional need or disability. It does so by organising coffee mornings plus contact via Facebook, Twitter and email. A warm welcome will be given!

When: First Monday of each month

Where: Castelnau Community Centre. Stillingfleet Road, Barnes, SW13 9AQ

Email: sendcarerscoffeeandchat@gmail.com

RICHMOND PARENT CARER FORUM

Richmond Parent Carer Forum is an independent group run by parents for parents or carers of children/young people (aged 0 – 25 years) who have any form of special educational need or disability. Your child does not need an official diagnosis for you to become a member and support is offered to families of children with any type of additional need.

The Forum's purpose is to ensure that the voices of parents, children and young people are heard in the planning and implementation of SEND services in Richmond. They can also help you to access services and provide valuable peer support, connecting you with other parents who understand the special joys and challenges of raising a family with additional needs.

Richmond Parent Carer Forum (c/o Ruils). 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington. TW11 8HT

Website: https://www.richmondpcf.org.uk

Email: information@richmondpcf.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richmondpcf/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichmondPCF