Isolation was a real problem, so we immediately set up Facebook groups to enable parents and carers to link up, attend watch parties together, come to zoom support groups and share any queries, ideas, and information. These groups have been very popular and a great way for families to reach out quickly when they need a bit of help.

The team have delivered advice appointments to hundreds of parents/carers over the duration of the pandemic and continue to do so. We have seen an increase in complexity of cases, as the changes to our usual daily lives have taken their toll upon our families. We have taken time to listen, provide ideas and strategies to support families and really understand and appreciate what they are going through.

During lockdown, we have been able to deliver a far wider training offer, including our Rising to the Challenge programme with accompanying zoom sessions, the Return to School, Talking with your Child about their Diagnosis and EHCP/SEN webinars, to name but a few. It has been interesting to see how numbers of attendees have increased since we have been delivering in this format, which is definitely useful for us to recognise moving forward.

We have amended our Teen Autism Confident programme to enable online delivery and have run 3 programmes over lockdown. We have also managed to keep in touch with some of the young people from previous programmes to support them over lock down.

We were lucky enough to gain some funding via several initiatives over the Covid period, including working with Barnardos on the “See, Hear, Respond” campaign. This has bought work from a far wider area and given the opportunity to deliver support in new and exciting ways. We have worked with several families to assist with helping young people back into school, delivered therapeutic support to families who are struggling with a variety of issues and worked directly with young people to help them to understand and feel positive about their autism diagnoses.

All in all, the team have been super busy and worked incredibly hard under often very difficult circumstances, due to working from home and the isolation that can bring. We have had our own difficulties during the period, as we have our own autistic young people at home and this period of change, uncertainty and upheaval has affected us all. We have laughed together and shed some tears over the last year; it has been very tough for us all.