Community Family Psychology
For families of children with a Learning Disability and/or ASD
We are a psychology team who work specifically with families of children with a diagnosis of ASD or a Learning Disability (also known as an Intellectual Disability). Our team consists of Clinical Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists. A young person may be referred to our service by a health professional or social worker to provide support around emotional well-being or behavioural difficulties related to their developmental condition.
We work across settings (home and school) and liaise with other professionals involved in the care and support of the young person. This includes Paediatricians, Occupational therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Teachers, Nurses, and other education and social care professionals. We also have links and can signpost to third sector support in the local area.
We can get involved in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the young person and family. We run groups for parents and young people to support with anxiety, parent self-care, and managing behaviour. We may also work with schools and families to develop individual support plans for a young person or work collaboratively to gain an understanding and inform an overall plan for the young person’s environment. We try to understand what is going on behind the behaviour and emotions we see.
Some of the group intervention we offer include:
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Worry Warriors (This is an 8-week CBT course for parents and high school children with ASD to learn about anxiety and to develop strategies in managing it.)
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Calmer Chameleons (This is group for primary school children with ASD to learn about managing big emotions.)
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Understanding Behaviour workshop (This is a 2-hour workshop run 4 times a year at various locations. It involves an introduction to behaviour and understanding what is behind it.)
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ASD Family Forum (this is a regular psychology-led but parent informed group that involves both peer support and facilitated discussion around a chosen topic)