Start with a free 30-minute phone consultation with one of our Clinical Directors. There is no cost and no obligation. You describe your situation, we tell you honestly whether one of our services would help and which one, and if we are not the right fit we will say so. Most families and schools begin here rather than trying to work it out from the website.

No. A diagnosis is not required for a first consultation, for our parent coaching, or for our adult and sibling groups. If you are waiting on an assessment, or are unsure whether to seek one, that is a common reason to call us and something we can talk through.

Both. We support autistic people from infancy through to adulthood, including a day programme for those aged 16 and over and a monthly group for autistic adults. You do not need to have been a client as a child to join.

In our experience ABA can help a wide range of autistic children, but how much it helps depends on several things: the quality and experience of the people delivering it, how well the programme is matched to the individual child, how much the family is able to take part, and the child’s own strengths and needs. We would rather tell you at the first conversation that a programme is unlikely to suit your child than take the booking.

Earlier is better. Research on early intervention consistently shows stronger outcomes the sooner support begins. We normally start with children from around two years old, and occasionally earlier where there is good reason to. That said, it is not a closed window. ABA strategies are used with people of all ages, and several of our services exist specifically for teenagers, young adults and adults.

No, and this is a common misunderstanding. The amount of structure is set by what the individual child needs, not by the method. Children who learn well in less structured settings get a less structured programme, and the strategies remain useful. Programmes are designed around the child rather than the child being fitted to a programme.

Sessions are designed to be active, playful and age-appropriate, and most young children engage with them rather than finding them draining. We watch fatigue and engagement closely and adjust the number of hours when a child needs us to. If a pattern of tiredness develops, that is a reason to change the programme, and we will raise it with you rather than wait to be asked.

It depends on the service and on your child. Our intensive early years and school age programmes involve a substantial weekly commitment, and we will set out exactly what that means before you commit to anything. Several of our services are far lighter: groups that meet fortnightly or monthly, a course of six weekly parent sessions, a single week, or a single day. We recommend what we believe your child needs, and the amount can change as they progress.

It depends on the service. Some are deliberately short: a one-week intensive, a six-week parent course, a single consultation day, or a group you attend for as long as it is useful. An intensive ABA programme is a longer commitment, but it is not a fixed term. We review your child’s needs as they progress, and both the hours and the shape of the programme are expected to change over time. We will be clear about what is involved at your first consultation and at every review after that.

For our intensive programmes, closely. Parents who take an active part get better long-term results, so those programmes include regular parent training, opportunities to join sessions, and review meetings with the clinical team. We know that is a significant commitment of time and energy. Our lighter services ask much less, and some are designed for you to attend on your own.

You are not the first to raise it. Families who manage it well usually build a support system around themselves, whether that is family helping with other children, with travel, or simply with the ordinary running of the week. Some parents reduce their working hours, though many do not. The demands are heaviest early on and usually ease. If the commitment looks impossible, tell us, because there may be a different service that fits your life better.

We publish the fees for our screenings and for Autism Partnership School on their own pages. For everything else the fee depends on the shape of the programme, so we confirm it with you before anything is booked. All our services are exempt from VAT, with the exception of school fees, which are subject to it.

Yes. Local authority and EHCP funding arrangements are welcomed across our services, and we are happy to talk directly with your local authority. Get in touch and we will explain what is usually needed.

Yes. We train teaching assistants and teachers in the classroom, run half-day and full-day seminars for professionals, and carry out in-school consultations and independent reviews of a pupil’s existing programme. Schools commission these directly, and you do not need to be an existing client.