Young Persons

CAAS offers a growing range of help for young people diagnosed with ADHD or autism aged 11-25.

Select a link below to find out more about the individual services we offer.  As with our other services, we are currently offering blended in-person and digital services.

 

For all enquiries, please contact: Enquiries

Services for residents of Harrow and Hillingdon

Individual Support

• The youth project aims to support young people with a diagnosis of ADHD and/or autism at critical transition points, such as transferring to High School, college or work.
• The support is available in person,  via email, phone, text and webchat.
• Counselling for young people is available subject to referral criteria.

HeadsUp – A Safe Place to be Yourself

HeadsUp is a new specialist young people’s mental health service provided by four local organisations; Mind in Harrow, the Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre, Paiwand and Centre for ADHD & Autism Support.

The service provides peer-led mental wellbeing workshops and specialist one-to-one and group sessions tailored for young people from the LGBT and refugee communities and those with a diagnosis of ADHD or autism.

CAAS will provide a mix of one-to-one mentoring sessions, courses and groups to help young people with a diagnosis of ADHD and/or autism build their resilience and learn mental health coping strategies.

Girls Group

The ‘Girls Group’ is a creative and nurturing space for young women. The group will aim to help the girls to understand their diagnosis and learn strategies to help them manage. It might be a topic for discussion, such as creating/maintaining friendships or having an external speaker to talk about personal appearance, lead a dance session, or talk about more serious topics such as relationships and sexual health.

The format will be a mix of both discussion groups, where a topic is picked each month and the group focus is on that topic, and creative activities so there will be an opportunity to learn new skills, and to be in a social environment that feels more natural and less forced.

The groups will be run by a therapist and facilitator and will include up to 8 girls per session. The topic will be decided in advance so girls can opt-in or not depending on their interest.

Creative Club

The monthly Creative Club will feature drama, music and art. The aim is to encourage young people to meet and socialise on a regular basis. The groups will enable those who face isolation a place to meet like-minded individuals in a place that feels safe, secure and accepting of difference.

The format will be a mix of both discussion groups, where a topic is picked each month and the group focus is on that topic, and creative activities so there will be an opportunity to learn new skills, and to be in a social environment that feels more natural and less forced.

Drama Therapy

• Drama therapy is offered to children who may be struggling with their emotions, with anxiety, or with social interaction and offers them a safe space to explore those feelings.
• Our therapists use the Sesame method, which is child led and supports them in understanding their own needs.
• Our therapists are fully qualified and registered with the Sesame School in London.
• Families MUST be engaging with services at the centre before a referral will be made.

Young Persons Film Group

The Film Group provides the opportunity to combine socialising and meeting new people. Films are chosen to facilitate discussion around what they have seen. This is done in a relaxed environment whilst enjoying a takeaway.

The group also go on several outings each year to the cinema, or to other relevant places such as the Film Museum or the Harry Potter Tour.

Therapeutic Siblings Group

The monthly group is designed to support siblings of children or young people with a diagnosis of ADHD and/or autism.  The group, led by a therapist and facilitator, will give siblings an opportunity to gain an understanding of the conditions so that they can better understand their brother or sister, resulting in better relationships.  The group will involve a mix of talking and activities.

Courses

WhyTry Programme (10 weeks)

• WhyTry is a lively 10-week CBT based course designed to support young people in all areas of their lives. This is done through visual analogues, music and team activities.
• The course explores issues such as:
  • • Peer pressure.
    • Decisions and consequences – making the right choices.
    • Building self-esteem and worth.
• The programme is taught in a way that is accessible to most learning styles and is very interactive making it popular with young people with ADHD.

CALMS Programme (6 weeks)

CALMS is a 6-week programme designed to help young people explore their differences and to learn to see the positives in having a diagnosis of ADHD or autism.