Summary
ASP(Autism Support Project) enables children & young people with Autism/Aspergers to take part in group-based leisure activities. These activities take place in Stirling. The young people meet in a safe supported environment where they meet with peers from different schools, build friendships, for some this extends to meeting outside of PLUS. They have fun, develop confidence in how to cope with outside challenges and learn life skills to help them when they transition to and from High School.
What ASP - Autism Support Project did
ASP supports children and young people diagnosed with Aspergers and Autism. This project supports children and young people aged 8-18 from across the Forth Valley. In addition, families and carers, benefit from respite and family support. ASP is a stable project – 75 sessions are delivered via fortnightly sessions for 3 different groups; 52 online dungeons and dragons sessions; monthly parent support groups; home visits for new joiners, support for children and young people and families through challenging situations. We have continued to see an increase in girls attending the project, and this has changed the dynamics within the groups. This has opened up more discussions about gender issues.
The parent support group has a WhatsApp group (monitored by the PC) for further peer support, in addition to monthly meetings. Some carers have met up and gone for walks or a coffee together. Others enjoy sitting in their car reading a book, which they do not often get time to do.
Baking, cooking and arts and crafts are very popular activities. We have also been decorating cakes, designing t-shirts and making things from clay. A young person led one session, he brought in his own recipe and the group all made burgers from scratch.
We have taken each group on outings with bowling the clear favourite. All young people enjoy this, and it allows them to be independent with money handling when ordering food and in the arcades, as well as encouraging young people to support each other.
Since January, two volunteers from the older group are supporting the younger groups. The young people look up to S as he has a gentle way with some of the girls who have struggled to engage. He has made positive suggestions eg bringing everyone together before the end of a session to do a quiz or a game.
Older ASP volunteers support the middle group where he has led baking activities, arts and crafts activities with young people. Both are enjoying the volunteering and the young people enjoy someone from older ASP being at the session.
What PLUS (Forth Valley) Limited has learned
The success of this project is due to making the project and activities young person led. We focus on what the young people want from the group and we help overcome challenges together.
The consistent sessional team at each groups sessions works very well with good rapport and trust being built. We see the impact of this on young people with increased confidence, engagement and interactions.
Since October 2023 we have engaged with four new families working together to make the transition into the groups easier. We have gone on home visits to gain an insight as to what the young people are interested in and to find out what their outcomes are when coming to the group. We offer an initial visit to meet the staff and discuss the type of activities we have done in the past. Transition support has been another success for ASP this year. Last year three of our older group move on - they were longstanding ASP attendees. It was wonderful to see them return in the summer holidays for a session with the older ASP Group to share how their first year at university / college / working went; the challenges they faced; how they overcame them; and they answered numerous questions for the group.
The ASP PC has a great rapport with the young people and with their families, and is appreciated by both for her support and passion for the ASP project. Previously, there had been difficulties with young people wanting to be on their phones. After conversations with the staff and young people, we now have an agreement in place, which means they can use their phones at the end of the event to complete their QR code evaluation and at the beginning of the event until everyone arrives. This is still a challenge, but is better than it was previously.
The team have learnt that girls with Autism present very differently from boys, and are very good at masking this. But through a consistent staff team, we notice these differences and are able to give support. As an organisation, we have continued to learn from the experiences of families of children with autism, and we continue to try to reach and support new families.
This project has allowed young people to build confidence and friendships out with PLUS, some of which now are able to engage in other activities and organisations. This has meant that a few young people have stopped coming to ASP, because they now feel they have the transferable confidence to be in social settings out with PLUS. This is a real success for the project and families have thanked us for the support that we have given to help their children move on.
A development of this project in 2024 has been the recent addition of a new ASP group in Falkirk. With 5 young people attending, and more enquiries to conduct home visits for, we are excited for what this addition to our sessions in Falkirk offers young people with Autism, and their families. Falkirk families feedback: “This is just the best thing for our daughter. She has grown out of PLUS Youth and this is a positive step up for her.” “L is really enjoying this group, She has made friends in the group and looks forward to each session.”
Securing funding has been more challenging in the last 12 months.
How PLUS (Forth Valley) Limited has benefitted from the funding
Better Breaks is the principle funder for ASP. Smaller funds awarded will have taken into consideration that approx half the project is funded by 1 funder, and has provided support for a number of years. This undoubtedly strengthened our ask to other funders.
This grant has enabled an already established project to continue; to continue supporting existing young people with Autism and their families; and to reach and support new young people and families.
Funding also enabled us to continue using the Crawford Hall (external venue) for 2 of the 3 groups, which the young people love. It offers a different space, which also offers great outside amenities – football nets, basketball and the pool table in one of the rooms is very popular. Funding also supported new equipment and games that young people had requested and have loved using together.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
30 children and young people with Aspergers / Autism will continue to have benefited from attending fortnightly ASP sessions, participating in fun and varied activities with peers, and from additional day trips and activities in the school holidays.
Results
A total of 32 children and young people have attended ASP sessions. In addition 6-8 young people attend the weekly online Dungeons and Dragons sessions, which started in lockdown to retain contacts but is so popular it is now part of the ASP programme. Each group went bowling 2-3 times over the course of the year, is it their favourite outing.
Case study
L is a lovely young person who has recently started at PLUS. She suffers badly from anxiety issues which can bring on non-epileptic seizures. Her first session at PLUS was extremely difficult for L, she did not want her mum to leave and she would not join anyone in the main activity room. She felt more comfortable being in the sensory room with a member staff. Towards the end of that event, she did venture in to the main space and managed to stay there for the rest of the event.
L is now more confident and joins the group in the main space from the beginning of the event. She has made friends with another young girl and they enjoy arts and crafts, and playing Dobble together. Feedback from mum ‘I am so pleased at how much L is enjoying the group and that she is making friendships so quickly’
Outcome
Each family/carer of a child with Aspergers / Autism will benefit from 50 hrs of respite a year while their child(ren) attend ASP.
Results
Each family/carer of a child with Aspergers / Autism will benefit from 50 hrs of respite a year while their child(ren) attend ASP. In addition they can access family support either 1:1 from The ASP PC; from our Family Support Coordinators; or through group support. This developed into the addition of a WhatsApp group (monitored by the PC) for further peer support, in addition to monthly meetings. Some carers have met up and gone for walks or a coffee together. Others enjoy sitting in their car reading a book, which they do not often get time to do.
Parents tell us how happy their child is when they come out of ASP sessions, which for many children is the only activity outside of school and home they attend. This in itself brings parents joy and piece of mind.
Families and carers will benefit from respite, support and meeting peers in a safe space where they can be open, understand and empathise with each other.
Case study
“As a parent I would like to say, that for both of our boys, Plus has most definitely been the one place that they have felt included fully and the activities have been set for them. It is the only place that I feel we do not have to explain the boy’s behaviour and quirks either. There are very few places where autistic children get any support and Plus is an essential group in our eyes.”
Outcome
87 carers / family members will benefit from respite from short breaks while children / young people attend ASP groups. ASP attendees may have attended additional sessions in the holidays; other groups; social and leisure activities providing additional respite for families and carers.
Direct 1:1 support for volunteering opportunities will be provided for young people leaving school, further increasing independence of the young person and increasing respite for parents. The ASP PC will work with the children, young people and their families supporting them with coping skills, developing communication techniques and tools. Parents can access additional support through the Parents Group that meets monthly. Families can access support, training sessions, information evenings and peer support.
Results
102 carers / family members benefited from respite from short break while their child/children attended ASP.
Carers and parents benefitted from emotional support, information, access to information and training sessions (organised across PLUS). More importantly parents and carers met their peers, either through the parent support group, pick up and drop offs, of from their children making friends with another person at ASP and then play sessions / meeting up outside of PLUS.
The whole family of every child is invited to our Family days - we have one in Stirling annually, but just this month (April 2024) we had our first every Falkirk Family day. The whole family can attend and have fun together, meet peers and take part in activities.
Case study
MW has bee attending for a few years and is now moving on to go to college. His mum reached out to the ASP PC to say:
'I can't thank you and PLUS enough - it has been a lifeline for Matthew and has helped him make some friendships which he otherwise would not have had.'
Outcome
At least 30 children and young people will attend regular ASP sessions participating in group activities. They will have fun with peers in an environment they feel safe, accepted and not judged.
They will be invited to attend other PLUS groups / sessions providing further access to social and leisure activities. They will have attended additional sessions in the school holidays.
They will feel less isolated and benefit from attending a group that is theirs, where they feel they fit in and they look forward to attending.
Families and carers will benefit from respite and support.
The ASP PC, and other PLUS staff will work with the children, young people and their families supporting them with coping skills, developing communication techniques and tools.
Results
32 children and young people attended ASP sessions participating in group activities. They have met peers, built confidence in interacting with their peers and the sessional staff and participate din activities. As they grow in confidence they engage more with others and in the activities. In some cases, we have seen young people lead an activity.
Young peoples mental health and wellbeing is supported in an environment where they feel safe, accepted and not judged.
Parents wellbeing improves due to breaks of respite, due to support but also due to knowing their child is safe, enjoying themself but also developing key skills. That they have a club to go to, like so many of their nondisabled peers.
Case study
“I really value letting my girls have a positive experience out of being autistic, and allowing them to have experiences such as bowling or the adventure day without me but in a safe
environment and properly supported. My girls have learned that they feel more comfortable to be authentically themselves and have benefitted from trying this out with other autistic people before allowing themselves to mask less often when they are in public.”
“I love that we never have any issues sending them to ASP as the leaders understand their needs better, so rather than some of the community clubs that might find their needs too challenging , I know I can send them to ASP without the risk of fall out later or the dreaded “phone call” from a leader while they’re out.”