Kids - universal autism support service in Shropshire

The Kids Shropshire autism support service is for parent carers and families of children and young people under the age of 19 years with autism/ADHD. No diagnosis is needed to access the support available, and it's recommended that you contact them as soon as you need information or support, as they provide families with practical tools, emotional support and confidence to help families thrive.

Early support can make a real difference for you and your family at the very beginning of your journey. You don't need to wait for a diagnosis to access support from Kids.

Kids Shropshire offers early support for both parent carers and children and young people. This may include a blend of group sessions and individual support, tailored to the needs identified by a Kids practitioner.

What Kids Shropshire offers

For parent carers, support can take many forms - from regular check‑ins and phone calls to Expert Parent training and online learning opportunities. We place a strong emphasis on nurturing peer‑to‑peer support, enabling parent carers with shared experiences to support one another. Our aim is to build resilience and confidence, empowering families to navigate services and seek the right help at the right time. We offer:

  • The ‘Healthy Parent Carer’ programme, designed to reinforce parent carers’ resilience
  • The 'Riding the Rapids' programme to support parent carers’ understanding of behaviour and implement support strategies
  • Coffee mornings and drop-in sessions
  • One-to-one support
  • Bespoke workshops that cover:
    • ASD vs ADHD (three hours)
    • Neurodiversity (specifically autism, ADHD and demand avoidance)
    • Girls and the autistic spectrum
    • Demand avoidance
    • Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
    • Sleep

For children and young people, our support may include activities such as Lego®‑based therapy or our “Understanding Me” group sessions. These sessions are designed to build resilience, support transitions, and strengthen self‑esteem. We work closely with parent carers and young people to set clear goals and outcomes that benefit the whole family.

Testimonial

“Thanks so much for your call, I'm looking forward to myself and my child getting more involved with Kids, and feel a great sense of relief that there's a wealth of support, training and advice available, as well as the YP groups and other get-togethers.”

Please have a look on the Kids website for further details, and to complete the online self-referral form.