Signposting: Autistic-Led Organisations, Support and Resources

Neuro-affirming organisations, practitioners and accounts to explore

From A to Z. Many of these are Autistic-led or neurodivergent-led.

A to B

• AJ’s Brain: neurodiversity training, training materials and animations, on Facebook.
• AMASE (Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh): lots of great information and signposting.
• Dr Amy Marshall, Resiliency Mental Health: trauma-informed psychologist (also at rmh-therapy.com).
• Aucademy: educators of Autistic experience, with neuro-affirming resources and webinars.
• Aurora Consulting: training, consultation and advisory services, as well as tailored support.
• Ausome Training: neuro-affirming Autism training and resources.
• Autidacts: an emerging community project gathering a rich array of Autism-related information.
• Autism Books by Autistic Authors: a great collection of books by Autistic authors.
• Autistic and Living the Dream (Katie Munday): training and consultation, with particular experience in accessibility, LGBT and GSRD experiences, and mental health.
• Autistic Collaboration: creating NeurodiVentures and equipping Autistic people for collaboration for life at human scale, embracing an ecology of care.
• Autistic Parents UK: peer support charity for Autistic parents.
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network (Australia and New Zealand): run by Autistic people, for Autistic people, centring Autistic adults with a focus on systemic advocacy and self-advocacy skills.
• Autistic Teacher (Mandy Cook): neuro-affirming and educational advocacy resources.
• Autisticality: Ben Usher-Barrass’s fabulous Autism-affirming resources.
• Autistically Scott: Autistic trainer, mentor, consultant and co-author based in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
• Beacon NeuroConnect: a not-for-profit therapeutic family support agency founded by Catherine Eveness, helping children, parents, carers and professionals build strong connections. Linked to Beacon Family Services in the West Midlands.
• Bex Milgate: Psychotherapy and Psychoeducation: neurodivergent psychotherapist and psychoeducator, providing content and training about neurodivergent experience.
• Bobbie Elman: consultant, coach and educator of the Autistic experience.
• Bridging the Neurodivide (Tigger Pritchard): a great collection of resources and training. Tigger is a neuro-affirming advocate, consultant, presenter and trainer.

C to F

• CASY: Cultural Autism Studies at Yale: exploring, defining, generating, recording and preserving Autistic culture, with fabulous discussions and webinars on neuro-holographic experience, Autistic physics and neuroqueering.
• Cheshire East Information Advice and Support (CEIAS): free, confidential support and information for children and young people with SEND, and their parents and carers, in Cheshire.
• Chris Bonnello: Autistic advocate, speaker, author and consultant.
• Colour Blind Zebra: raising awareness, one rainbow at a time, about chronic illness and disability.
• Creative Neurodivergent: Autistic trainer, creative arts facilitator and neurodivergent educator.
• Emergent Divergence: a website for all your questions about Autism and neurodiversity.
• Emily Katy: blogs and books about being Autistic and mental health.
• Emily Lees: Autistic speech and language therapist supporting Autistic children’s communication.
• Fledge Psychotherapy: neurodiversity-affirming psychotherapist.

G to L

• GROVE Neurodivergent Mentoring and Education: training and mentoring.
• Hat Talks: a neurodivergent, semi-speaking speech and language therapist.
• Helping Kids Shine: neuro-affirming occupational therapy for children, and family support.
• Human Restoration Project: professional development, podcasts and open-access resources for educators and young people, re-imagining and humanising education.
• Jill Holly Counselling: counselling and psychotherapy (FdA, MBACP), with ADHD and Autism psychoeducation.
• Dr Joanne Riordan: chartered independent educational psychologist, neuro-affirming.
• Jodie Clarke: independent specialist working with Autistic children, their families and their schools.
• Julie Lee Barclay Morton: The Unadapted Ones: Autistic author, editor, artist, coach and teacher, offering writing courses and editing.
• Katie Abey: resources and fun affirming merchandise.
• Kay Louise Aldred: specialising in embodied education.
• Kelly Mahler: the Interoception Curriculum.
• Kieran Rose: The Autistic Advocate: public speaker, trainer, researcher and consultant, specialising in Autistic masking, Autistic burnout and Autistic identity.
• Kristy Forbes: Autism and neurodiversity support specialist.
• Laura Hellfeld, Neurodivergent Nurse: resources for young people and families, including PDAers, with a focus on sleep, eating, low demand and creating safe spaces.
• Lived Experience Educator (Sonny Jane Wise): trans, multiply neurodivergent and disabled public speaker, advocate and author.

M to R

• Monotropism.org: collected writing, research and resources about monotropism, and the archives of Dinah Murray.
• Dr Naomi Fisher: low-demand parenting advice and resources.
• National Autistic Society (UK): national charity and support service.
• Neurodivergent Lou: blogger, with neuro-affirming Autism resources.
• Neurodiverse Connection: a neurodivergent CIC supporting and improving outcomes for neurodivergent people, with great blogs and training.
• Neurofabulous (Katy Elphinstone): blogs and books thinking differently about Autism and neurodiversity.
• Neurofriendly Therapy (Catherine Flynn): including free resources such as the Neuro-Affirmative Neurodivergent Glossary Flashcards.
• NeuroStory Collective: shared and collected stories by and for (mainly) Autistic and Autistic+ people.
• Novel Mind: a resource for neurodiversity and mental health in children’s literature.
• NT in a ND World: a great collection of neurodiversity-affirming websites and resources from across social media.
• PANS/PANDAS UK: medical guidance, plus educational and family resources, for those affected by PANS/PANDAS.
• The PDA Space: family support community and resources.
• ReachOut ASC: Autism training and resources for families, schools and other organisations, set up by Lynn McCann.
• Rhyming Multi-Sensory Stories: sensory stories and resources connecting people to literature, culture, history and topic work through the senses.

S to Z

• Sally Cat PDA: blogs and resources to support PDAers.
• The Sensory Projects (Joanna Grace): showing how, with the right knowledge and a little creativity, inexpensive items can become effective sensory tools for inclusion. Especially great for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
• Spectrum Gaming: an Autism-affirming online community for young people.
• Spectrum Parents Support (Tracy Jones): neuro-affirming training and resources for neurodivergent families.
• The Speech Den: neuro-affirming speech and language therapy, and host of the Gestalt Language Processors Conference.
• Story Massage: positive-touch story massage activities for home, school and community, plus a training programme.
• Sugar and Sloth: fun toolkits, a subscription box and a supportive community.
• Sunshine Support: a UK organisation empowering and advocating for parents, carers and professionals supporting children and young people with SEND.
• SWAN Scotland: an Autistic-led charity delivering services, information and support for and by Autistic women, girls and non-binary people across Scotland.
• Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism: Autism news and resources from Autistic people.
• Thriving Autistic: neurodiversity-affirming therapists and resources.
• Viv Dawes: Autistic Advocate: lived experience advocate, trainer, consultant and author specialising in Autistic burnout.

Education resources

• Autism Understood: a website about Autism for Autistic young people.
• Amazing Things Happen: a YouTube video explaining Autism to young people.
• Barriers to Education: a neurodiversity-affirming guide for parents and professionals by Spectrum Gaming.
• Belonging in School: free downloadable resources from University of Cambridge research.
• IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice): helping children and young people with SEND, and their families, navigate the SEND system and secure the education they are legally entitled to.
• It’s Good to Be Me!: a Spectrum Gaming YouTube video about being Autistic, made by Autistic young people.
• LEANS-C (Salvesen Mindroom Centre): neurodiversity-affirming parenting and teaching resources.
• MHFA England: Mental Health First Aid courses.
• Neurodiversity and anti-ableism reflection tool for the Early Years: by Kerry Murphy, published by Famly.
• Not Fine In School: school attendance support and advice.

Courses

• Anna Freud: National Autism Trainer Programme: developed with AT-Autism for NHS England. Anna Freud also offer training for schools and colleges on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
• Ausome Training courses
• Autism and Mental Health with Wenn Lawson: Curtin University course on edX.
• Reframing Autism: Autism Essentials: free course.
• The Autistic Advocate (Kieran Rose): Inside of Autism: affiliate link.
• My own free training: slides and resources on monotropism, neuroqueer learning spaces and regulation cultures.

Find a neuro-affirming practitioner

Neurodivergent Directory of Neurodiversity Affirming Practitioners: a directory of neurodivergent, neuro-affirming practitioners hosted by the Autistic-led nonprofit Thriving Autistic.

Mental health crisis support (UK)

If you or someone you support is in crisis, these services can help. You will find more helplines, including text and webchat options, on my Support and Crisis Lines guide.

• Samaritans
• Papyrus: prevention of young suicide.
• Hub of Hope: mental health support network.