En-Fold. Post diagnositic Suppport service for Autism

Born out of my own experiences and from listening to those around me...My beautiful girls both have a diagnosis of Autism and I am all too aware of the pressure on families to find the services and support to enable children to thrive.Sadly many parents fall into a black hole with no information and support and that is what we want to change through this new charity;En-Fold.

It is always hard to find funding, but as you start out with no ‘track record’ it is harder still.With a robust board of trustees behind it we ask you to please read the information about what we are seeking to do and find it in your heart to donate and help make this vision a reality through a pilot to demonstrate the positive outcomes we can make…

Through an online anonymous survey we sought specific views of parents as to the need for the proposed Post diagnostic support service. The survey has received 68 responses, and one example is that on leaving the diagnosis appointment over 80% did not have a good sense of what was going to happen next. When asked in our survey to tick the statement that applied to them a massive 78% of the people identified that they would have liked to have been referred to a post diagnostic support service.In this time of austerity it is increasingly difficult to find support.

We want to provide 6-8 weeks of support, in the family home as parents/carers embark on the task of adjustment to having an autism diagnosis.An excellent understanding of the emotional journey and empathetic listening skills to be used alongside offering practical support and signposting individually tailored to the family’s needs.By offering an emotionally supportive system navigator parents/carers do not need to feel so alone and isolated and can be better equipped to support their family with early intervention.There will then follow the opportunity to engage with a mentoring service.

Overall our driving passion is to support and equip families who enter the complex and baffling world of autism post diagnosis.We are passionate about supporting families irrespective of their background, ethnicity, life chances, employment status, disability, sexual orientation, creed – in short, we want to respect and support families and see greater flourishing for all autistic children.

En-Fold matters because parents and carers get lost in the diagnostic system.They are confused and isolated after the diagnostic process has ended.Behind each lost, bewildered parent or carer is a child with needs.We want to ensure that all children, via support to their parents are able to access the best services and care for them.Equality and support for some of the most vulnerable members in our society is why we matter.

En-Fold exists to bridge the gap between the end of the autism diagnosis pathway and the next steps to support and everyday living.By establishing direct links with diagnosticians and close links with school SENCOs we want to eliminate the experience of the ‘black hole’ where families feel isolated and alone following a diagnosis.

“We are the welcome arms that support and resource weary parents and carers at the end of the autism diagnostic pathway, acting as system navigators, setting them up for the next steps.”