Finally, the weather is warming up and we are looking forward to our summer program for families and teens. Take a look below at our exciting events and get booked on before they fill up, we have put them on extra early this year to give you a chance to organise your diaries. We have some really exciting things lined up for you!
During May we took part in the PACC conference which was a great opportunity for us to share the amazing work we are doing here in Shropshire. It was lovely to see some of you there and to also meet lots of new people including parent carers and people from other services too. Sadly, we have also said goodbye to a key member of our team during May. Emma Hegenbarth had worked for AWM for over 17 years and will be truly missed as the Shropshire assistant manager. She has helped so many families and her positivity and enthusiasm will be really missed by her colleagues and the AWM community. We wish Emma well on her new career path where she is sure to shine.
We have lots of training coming up both in person and online so please have a look through the list and get booked on, if you can’t get a place, it is always worth emailing us to see if we can squeeze you in. The webinars are a great option as you can watch live or use the recording which is available afterwards for a short time.
We continue to provide online advice appointments and have listed more dates for June and July. No diagnosis is needed to access this service to Shropshire residents. Face-to-face appointments can be arranged (usually at Sunflower House but other venues may be possible) if you would prefer this, email the team and they will let you know availability.
Here is an overview of our upcoming events:
Teen Events – Actio All In (ages 11-17 years)
30th May Nerdy Café Shrewsbury
22nd July Belle Vue Youth Club – pizza making & Leo’s Loco Circus workshop.
1st August Battlefield Birds of Prey Centre
5th August Belle Vue Youth Club- Craft and sensory workshop
15th August Frankley Alpacas
22nd August Belle Vue Youth Club- sandwich making, picnic and wellbeing workshop.
Teens Online
6th June 6-7pm
4th July 6-7 pm
Family Events
31st May – Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre 10.30-12.30
29th July – Alderford Lake 10.30-12.30
8th August – British Ironworks 10.30-12.30
12th August – Medieval Madness Soft Play – (To be confirmed)
29th August – Ford Hall Farm 11-1
Face to Face Parent Meetings
3rd June – 8th Jul (6 weeks) – Rising to the Challenge - Early Years, Shrewsbury Sunflower House
11th June – Autism and Behavior – Cleobury Mortimer Primary School
28th June – Coffee and Chat Oswestry 10.30
15th July – Coffee and Chat – Shifnal
Book sessions at the below link:
https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
Online Training
10th May -21st June - Rising to the Challenge – A series of 6 webinars.
9th July - Autism and Sensory Differences
6th Aug - How Autistic People Process Information
https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
Book an online advice appointment with an Autism Specialist Advisor here…
- WEEKLY Teams Advice slots
For those who would like some online advice we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Teams also works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop. If the dates/timings of our online advice appointments are not convenient for you, please contact us to make alternative arrangements – scroll down for details.
IMPORTANT – WE EMAIL YOUR TEAMS LINK TO YOU THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR SLOT, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR INBOX INCLUDING SPAM/JUNK TO GET YOUR LINK
- Virtual Support Group for Parents - Wednesday Mornings 10am - 11am & Wednesday Evenings 7.30pm – 8.30pm – 1st and 3rd Weds of each month (term time)
Our online support groups meet twice a month via Teams. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. We recommend that you have attended an online advice appointment with a member of the team before joining group sessions (link above).
If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email the team here shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
- Advice and support
We also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact the team directly to arrange an appointment including face-to-face if preferable.
Shropshire office - 01952 454156
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu - Dawn Lewis 07706309382
Mon, Tue, Thu - Nicola King 07706337511
Mon, Thu, Fri - Kerry McLafferty 07900784186
Email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Please remember - No formal diagnosis is needed to access the AWM Shropshire service and there is no formal referral route – parents/carers can self-refer by booking an advice appointment or contacting us directly on our Shropshire email address. You can also use our helpline.