Services for Parents & Carers (of children & young people)
CAAS has a range of services designed to support parents and carers of young people diagnosed with ADHD or autism.
For all enquiries, or to book places on any of the below, please contact us using the links below.
We want to be as welcoming as possible, and will make accommodations to enable you to access our services. Please click on this document to see some of the reasonable adjustments we can make to support you, and do let us know by emailing or calling us if there is anything else we can do to make our services accessible for you.
Table of Contents
Regular Support
For: Residents of North-West London.
When: Wednesdays and Fridays during term-time, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM; 3rd Monday of the month, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.
What: The support sessions are a great introduction to our services: you can meet someone from both the Family Support and Youth Teams and find out about the help we can provide for you and your family, as well as connect with other parents/carers in a similar situation. During the daytime sessions, a creche is available for parents with pre-school aged children. This is run by trained childcare staff. Creche must be booked by emailing enquiries as spaces are limited.
For: Residents of North-West London.
When: Mondays 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM; Some Wednesdays 7-00 – 8:30 PM
What: Our online drop-in support groups are a wonderful opportunity to talk to our family support team, who are here to offer guidance and support. Connect with other parents to share stories, offer advice, and build a supportive community. You are welcome whether your child is formally diagnosed, on the pathway, or if you suspect your child might need an assessment and want to know the next steps.
For: Residents of Harrow, Hillingdon, Ealing (latter must be referred by Community Paediatrics)
When: By appointment.
What: Blended online and face-to-face sessions with one of our family support workers. This project aims to support parents/carers neurodivergent young people at difficult times in you or your child’s life. Support will be topic based, offered over around 6 sessions, and available via email, phone, text, or in person. Please note that we are currently operating a waiting list for this service, so accessing drop-in is recommended initially.
For: Residents of Harrow and Hillingdon.
What: This group is designed to give you the opportunity to share and gain support from other local members. Please note: this group is not regularly moderated or responded to by CAAS staff, it is to facilitate community posting. Please read group rules before posting. https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdandautismsupport.
For: Members of CAAS.
When: Access during drop-in sessions or by arrangement.
What: Our well-stocked library has books on all aspects of ADHD, autism and other related conditions. Our books are updated on a regular basis. We also stock books that support parenting as well as literature on siblings and family dynamics. Books are also available to help children or adults with a diagnosis of ADHD or autism to understand their condition.
Cost: £5 fee to be retained if books are not returned within six months. Two books may be borrowed at any one time.
Workshops
For: No geographical restriction.
When: Dates vary.
What: Specialist workshops are held throughout the year with blended online and face-to-face service. These are accessible to parents, carers, professionals and ADHD/autistic individuals. Details are sent via email to members and are published on our website and social media. Places must be booked. To view current workshops, please visit our Eventbrite page.
For: Residents of Harrow, Hillingdon and Ealing
When: Dates vary.
What: CAAS offer sleep support to enable parents to gain a greater understanding of how to support children with sleep issues. We hold regular workshops offering insight into the importance of sleep, as well as strategies for how to support your child to have a more restful night’s sleep. We also offer support on a one-to-one basis. Support will generally be offered via email, phone or in person.
For: Residents of Harrow, Hillingdon, and Ealing
When: Monthly
What: This monthly workshop will help parents understand the process of completing a DLA form and will go through the form question by question giving examples of the kind of information required. You do not need a diagnosis before you apply.
For: Residents of Harrow
When: Monthly
What: This monthly workshop will give parents the opportunity to explore what a diagnosis of ADHD means. It will look at the next steps, discussion of medication and explore what additional support may be available.
Courses
To register for one of our parenting courses, please use this form: https://forms.office.com/e/bXJYGXnBVt
For: Residents of North-West London. Suitable for parents of children/teenagers diagnosed autistic or on the wating list for diagnosis.
When: Termly, online and in-person courses available
What: Understanding Autism is a 6-week course that focuses on increasing parents’ understanding of their autistic child/teenager and looking at how best to support them. The course provides in-depth information and covers topics such as communication differences, sensory issues, how behaviour is impacted and as well as providing a safe space for parents/carers to ask questions and connect with others in a similar situation. Parents have shared that attending the course in person at our centre is particularly valuable in enhancing their experience of the course. Courses are offered for both evening and daytime, online and in person at our centre.
If your child/teenager is dual diagnosis we recommend attending the Understanding ADHD as well. The ADHD and Autism Parenting Boost is then recommended as a follow-on course to explore strategies and skills.
Cost: £30 per person
For: Residents of North-West London. Suitable for parents of children/teenagers diagnosed with ADHD or on the wating list for diagnosis.
When: Termly, online and in-person courses available
What: Understanding ADHD is a 6-week course that focuses on increasing parents’ understanding of their ADHD child/teenager and looking at how best to support them.
The course provides in-depth information and covers topics such as communication differences, executive functioning, behaviour and emotional regulation. The course also provides a safe space to ask questions and connect with others in a similar situation. Parents have shared that attending the course in person at our centre is particularly valuable in enhancing their experience of the course. Courses are offered for both evening and daytime, online and in person at our centre.
If your child/teenager is dual diagnosis we recommend attending the Understanding Autism course as well. The ADHD and Autism Parenting Boost is then recommended as a follow-on course to explore strategies and skills.
Cost: £30 per person
For: Residents of North-West London. Suitable for those who have previously attended our Understanding ADHD and/or Understanding Autism courses.
When: Termly, online and in-person
What:
The ADHD and Autism Parenting Boost is a 6-week follow on course which is available to parents/carers after attending the Understanding ADHD and/or Understanding Autism courses.
The sessions are designed to provide enhanced understanding and offer additional strategies for parents. The course is based on the accredited “Effective Parenting” course, which has been adapted to meet the needs of families of neurodiverse children and teenagers, and provides the opportunity to explore and learn together in a safe space.
Cost: £30 per person
For: Residents of Harrow with children aged 3-10. Most suitable for parents/carers of children aged 3-10 years who are diagnosed, waiting for diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of ADHD.
When: One course per year, in person at CAAS.
What: A four-session time out program based on 1-2-3 Magic by Dr Thomas Phelan, designed to give effective and well-researched ways to better support children to manage their behaviour. It helps to increase knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, and to lessen feelings of frustration for both the child and the parent, resulting in better outcomes with less effort and stress. The course also supports parents to help children get started on things they want them to do such as homework, getting up in the mornings, getting ready for school and doing what is asked of them . The course also addresses sibling rivalry issues.
We highly recommend this course for parents of children with ADHD. Please check course suitability for ASD.
Cost: £30 per person
