We are holding our branch AGM at 7.30pm on Wednesday 7th April. It will be an online event and anyone from Cambridgeshire with an interest in autism is welcome to attend.
NAS Cambridge Annual General Meeting
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Visits to the Cavendish School
The Cavendish School is Cambridgeshire’s new special free school for young people with autism, scheduled to open in September 2021.
If you are interested in finding out more about The Cavendish School, and would like to attend a socially distanced group visit at one of the following times, please email
jbickley@TMET.org.uk to book your place:
- 10am on Monday 14 September
- 5pm on Monday 21 or Wednesday 30 September
Back to School – a guide for parents
The NAS have produced a guide for parents to help you prepare your child for the transition back to school, following the easing of some of the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures. There will be a lot of changes for them to manage and the guide helps you talk to them about what to expect and ways to help reduce anxiety.
New National Autistic Society website
The National Autistic Society are updating their national website at www.autism.org.uk
It will be launched by the end of August and you can see a preview here. The website is a great resource with lots of information and a searchable directory of service providers.
Our website here at the Cambridge Branch will still be the same!
Education Advice Service in Fenland & East Cambs
The SEND Information Advice Support Service (SENDIASS) is expanding its service in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. This service is available to provide support to parents/carers of young people with special education needs and disabilities. This support is currently available via telephone or Skype drop ins.
For more information and to contact the team see the Fenland & East Cambs Opportunity Area website
Caring Together free online course for parents & carers
Caring Together, a charity supporting carers, are offering a free online course for parents and carers of children with autism – the Hope programme.
The Hope Programme is a six-week online group peer-support course based on positive psychology, mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy originally developed by Coventry University. It covers topics such as mindfulness, goal setting, anxiety, fatigue and stress management, healthy eating, physical activity and working with health care teams.
For more information on the Hope programme and how to book see the Caring Together website
British Indian parents needed for ASC research
Fathima Kodakkadan at Anglia Ruskin University is carrying out a study comparing the factors influencing the stress and resilience among the British Indian parents of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC).
If you are interested in taking part there is more information and contact details here. There is a chance for you to WIN £50 for participating in this survey.
Mental health support for children & young people
Is lockdown having a negative effect on your child? Or are you a young person struggling with high levels of anxiety and mental distress during lockdown?
Not sure how to access help? Two local sources of support are:
CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service is for children & young people experiencing poor mental health. They are currently offering a phoneline service to replace their drop-ins.
KeepYourHead is Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s Children & Young People’s mental health services site. It includes lots of information about mental health, things you can do to help yourself, and where to go to for more support.
Training Webinars from IPSEA
IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) have online webinars available on a range of topics in Special Education Needs & Disability law, including Education, Health & Care plans, school exclusions, school/college transport and tribunals. These cost £9 each and include presentation slides to download and keep.
Adult Autism Support Service change announcement
The NAS Adult Autism Support Service will be moving to Cambridgeshire County Council from 1st June. Here is a message from Joseph Simon:
“We are writing to everyone who has used or worked with the Cambridgeshire Adult Autism Support Service to let you know that there will be a change from 1 June. The service we provide will not change, but the service is being taken in house by Cambridgeshire County Council, as the National Autistic Society has decided not to continue to manage the service when the current contract ends on 31 May.
We, Anna Thomas and Dr Joseph Simon, the current Autism Support Managers, will continue to provide the service as our posts are being transferred to the council. Once all the new arrangements are in place, the service will be reviewed to make sure it’s working as effectively as possible to support autistic adults, but the council do not expect there to be significant changes.
The details for contacting the service will change from 1 June. After that date, please check the following sources for the new details:
- Customer Care Contact Centre for Cambridgeshire County Council Adult Social Care at careinfo@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or on 0345 0455202
- Adults and Autism Team via e-mail AAT@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or on 01480 373220
- National Autistic Society Cambridge Branch website at https://www.nascambridge.org.uk or on its helpline: 07920 150407
We are very pleased that we will continue to provide this essential service to autistic adults in the county. “