Neurodiversity - supporting needs

Please select the types of support you are looking for, using the tick boxes below, and we will show you the information and resources relevant to you.

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General support

Ambitious About Autism

The sooner an autistic child's needs are understood, the sooner support can be put in place to enable them to thrive. This toolkit contains information for parents and carers to help make sure this happens. 

General support

Disability Advice and Welfare Network (DAWN)

The passport supports the autistic individual by informing what reasonable adjustments are required to help with communication

Sleep

National Sleep Helpline

A free helpline staffed by experienced sleep practitioners, many with experience and training in neurodiversity and sensory processing issues.

Mental health

Visyon

Visyon is a charity that supports the mental health of children, young people and their families.

General support

Space4Autism

Offers support for parents, children, young people and adults - all age groups of people with Autism and ADHD, as well as parent carers.

General support

Cheshire East Parent Carer Forum

Parent Carer Members will benefit from advice, training and the ability to ask questions of other carers and professionals, as well as attending events and getting involved in co-producing local services.

General support

Cheshire East Local Offer

The Cheshire East Local Offer includes information about the support and provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) from birth to 25 years old

General support

Cheshire East Autism Team

The CEAT are a small school-focused team of teaching and support staff with considerable experience and qualifications in the field of autism

General support

ADHD Foundation

The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity - an integrated health and education service. Supports parents and carers so they can understand and meet the needs of their child.

Toileting

ERIC

ERIC is the national charity dedicated to improving children’s bowel and bladder health. Our mission is to reduce the impact of continence problems on children and their families.

General support

Cheshire East SEND Inclusion Toolkit

Provides information on appropriate steps and strategies to support children and young people with different types and levels of need . It also provides clear information about when a request for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment,or specialist services, may be required.

Youth support group

Cheshire East Youth Support Service

For young people aged 13 -19 yrs (up to 25yrs with SEND). Offer open access, targeted Youth Work, Outdoor Education, focused support for Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), support to young people who have an Education Health Care plan, and transitional planning and preparing for adulthood.

General support

Cheshire East Family Hubs

Supporting children age 0-25 with SEND and their families

General support

Cheshire East Information Advice and Support (CEIAS)

Free confidential support and information to children and young people with SEND, their parents and or their carers. They aim to ensure that you feel more informed and are able to be fully involved in decisions relating to special educational needs provision.

General support

Health Visiting Service

Health Visitors are specialists in child health and development who work at community, family and individual levels to promote and improve the health and well-being of pre-school children and their families. Often a good place to start at the start of a potential neurodiversity diagnosis journey

General support

CANDDID

CANDDID, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) and the ADHD Foundation have produced a series of informational videos 'Understanding and Managing ADHD'

Mental health

Just Drop In

Just Drop In supports children and young people age 11-25 who are finding life hard. They offer a range of support services including a popular sleep course

General support

Ruby's

Children and families centre that provides support to families of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Sensory

SPOTSS (Sensory Processing Occupational Therapy Team Support Service)

Sensory Occupational Therapy is provided by a new team known as SPOTSS who deliver a tiered service to support Autistic children or those with Autistic features who have sensory processing needs within their settings.

General support

Autism Inclusive

Support autistic adults and children, those with ADHD or any other neuro diversity, as well as their families and carers. Diagnosed or suspected, all are welcome

Sensory

SPOTSS (Sensory Processing Occupational Therapy Team Support Service)

Video of information on sensory portraits, sensory regulation and sensory preferences

General support

ADHD and You

Information for adults and young people with ADHD, parents, and carers of those living with ADHD and those educating children or young people with ADHD.

General support

Devon NHS Trust

A range of apps to help people with ADHD. Time management is a recurrent issue and there are apps that help to organise time, block distractions for a set time, track how much time is being spent on an activity and assist in managing procrastination.

General support

CHADD

American organisation with lots of resources to support young people and adults with ADHD

Mental health

MIND

Supporting those with ADHD and mental health problems.

Mental health

The Free Mindfulness Project

Online mindfulness and meditation include enhanced attention control, memory, emotional regulation, coping with stress, and relationships with others; all of which can be areas of challenge for young people living with ADHD.

General support

National Autistic Society

Helping the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their families. Be it running specialist schools, campaigning for improved rights or training companies on being more autism-friendly, they are dedicated to transforming lives and changing attitudes.

General support

National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI)

A social change organisation working to support people at risk of exclusion, due to age or disability.

Challenging behaviour

PDA Society

Support for Autistic people with a demand avoidant profile 

General support

The Together Trust

Care for and champion the rights, needs and ambitions of care-experienced children and people with disabilities, autism and mental health differences.

General support

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

The Parent/Carers Zone contains lots of useful resources and links. These resources will give you the tools to teach your child new life skills like toileting, dressing and organising their school bag.

Sleep

The Teen Sleep Hub

Sleep advice aimed at teens and their parents

Challenging behaviour

Newbold Hope

Supporting parents and practitioners to reduce violent, difficult and dangerous behaviour in children and young people with a disability and/or an additional need.

General support

IPSEA

Leading charity in the field of SEND law in England, providing free and independent legal advice and support to families of children and young people with SEND.

General support

Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service

Useful website to access information and resources. It has a very useful download for parents who are struggling to manage their child’s ADHD sleep. Regular quality sleep can lead to vast improvement in the symptoms of ADHD.

General support

NHS dyspraxia information

Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.

Speech, language and communication

Afasic

Afasic supports and provides information for families with children and young adults who have Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) with a focus on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

Speech, language and communication

Speech and Language UK

Help to give children and young people the communication skills they need so they aren’t left behind, waiting to be understood

General support

BBC Tiny Happy People

Early Years information on child development for families

Speech, language and communication

National Literary Trust Words for Life

Helping children develop literacy skills to succeed in life

General support

NHS Start for Life

Ideas, easy tips and activities for early years development.

Speech, language and communication

Makaton

Makaton symbols and signs can be used either as a main method of communication or as a way to support speech.

Speech, language and communication

Apraxia Kids

Support for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) which is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to speak

Speech, language and communication

I CAN

Children's communication charity. Their misson is that no child should be left out or left behind because of a difficulty speaking or understanding.

Speech, language and communication

Stamma

Supporting and empowering those who stammer 

Speech, language and communication

Michael Palin Centre for Stammering

Empowering children, young people and adults who stammer to be confident communicators

Speech, language and communication

The Fluency Trust

Aims to help people who stammer communicate confidently. Building awareness of stammering and through our residential courses we aim to give young people who stammer a safe space to explore stammering and find what works for them.

Speech, language and communication

Selective Mutism Information and Research Association

Aims to give those with Selective Mutism, their parents and professionals an opportunity to feel less isolated and share ideas with others who have experienced similar problems in either home, school or treatment situations.

Speech, language and communication

DLD and Me

A website for kids and teenagers to learn about Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and to share how they've told others.

Mental health

MindEd for Families

A free learning resource about the mental health of children, young people and older adults.

Mental health

Young Minds

Information about anxiety, the different types of anxiety disorder, and what help is available.

General support

Very Well Mind

Information about ADHD signs and symptoms in girls

General support

Autism Essentials

This is a free, self-paced course that provides a solid understanding of Autism in a way that is neuro-affirming.

General support

The Pathway 2 Success

Information about the importance of Executive Functioning Skills

Sensory

Cerebra sensory processing support

A guide to sensory processing for parents

Sensory

NHS Humber Teaching NHS Trust - sensory processing

Sensory processing information and strategies to reduce the impact difficulties can have on children and young people’s daily lives

General support

Learn Play Thrive

A twice-monthly podcast exploring research, amplifying autistic voices, and changing the way we think about autism

Speech, language and communication

Carol Gray

Social Stories are a social learning tool that supports the safe and meaningful exchange of information between parents, professionals, and people with autism of all ages. 

Speech, language and communication

Leeds Mencap - communication aids

Now and Next Boards and visual timetables are communication aids which helps give structure to a person's time

General support

National Autistic Society - dealing with change

Information about supporting autistic people with change as many can find this difficult

Speech, language and communication

National Autistic Society - communication

Advice about supporting autistic people with various communication techniques

General support

The Curly Hair Project

The Curly Hair Project (CHP) is an award-winning organisation founded by autistic author and entrepreneur Alis Rowe. CHP resources are used by individuals, families and professionals worldwide

Sleep

NHS - tiredness support

Self-help tips to fight tiredness

Mental health

NHS - wellbeing support

Self-help tips to improve mental wellbeing

Youth support group

Spectrum Gaming

A gaming community for autistic young people (aged 10-17)

General support

ADHD Foundation - school

Video - young people talking about neurodivergence and school

General support

ADHD Foundation - homework

Video - young people talking about neurodivergence and homework

General support

ADHD Foundation - hobbies

Video - young people talking about neurodivergence and hobbies

General support

ADHD Foundation - friendships

Video - young people talking about neurodivergence and friendships

General support

ADHD Foundation - staying safe online

Video - young people talking about neurodivergence and staying safe online

General support

ADHD Foundation - knowing your neurotype

Video - young people talking about knowing your neurotype

Mental health

ADHD Foundation - parents and carers supporting emotions

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their child or young person with their big emotions.

General support

ADHD Foundation - parents and carers supporting friendships

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their child or young person with neurodivergence and friendships

General support

ADHD Foundation - parents and carers supporting homework

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their child or young person with neurodivergence and their homework

General support

ADHD Foundation - parents and carers supporting routines

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their child or young person with neurodivergence and using routines

Sleep

ADHD Foundation - parents and carers supporting routines

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their child or young person with neurodivergence and using routines

General support

ADHD Foundation - ADHD medication

Video for Parents and Carers on understanding ADHD medication

General support

ADHD Foundation - the ADHD diagnostic journey

Video for Parents and Carers on explaining the ADHD diagnostic journey for your child or young person

General support

ADHD Foundation - learning difficulties

Video for Parents and Carers on supporting their neurodivergent child or young person with severe learning difficulties.

Sleep

Koala North West

Supporting parents of a child between 2 and 11 years, where the child has difficulty settling at night, frequently wakes throughout the night or wakes early to start the day.

Mental health

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust - mental health support

For age 4+. Information on how to look after your mental health, how to access help and support, and details of support services.

General support

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Community Paediatric Team (also known as the Neurodevelopmental Team) is made up of Community Paediatricians and Neurodevelopmental Specialist Nurses, supported by administrative and clinical support staff.

General support

East Cheshire NHS Trust - pre school development clinic

0-4 pre-school development clinic provides a holistic developmental assessment prior to an autism-specific assessment if appropriate

Mental health

Affinity Hub

Emotional support for parent carers of disabled children and adults

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We recommend the following support organisations locally and nationally:

Contact - UK Charity that supports families caring for children with additional needs

National Autistic Society – UK Charity supporting autistic people and their families

Cheshire East Live Well – Local information about the support and provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

Cheshire East Parent Carer Forum – Local support organisation run by parent carers for other parent carers

Further support

Further support can also be found using the links below:

If you have any feedback on this page please contact enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk.

The views and opinions expressed in any external resources, websites, or references suggested within this material do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the National Health Service (NHS). These resources are provided for informational purposes only, and their inclusion does not imply endorsement or approval by the NHS. While every effort is made to recommend high-quality and reliable resources, the NHS is not responsible for the content or advice provided by external organisations. It remains the responsibility of parents, carers, and practitioners to assess the relevance and appropriateness of the information for their individual circumstances.