Wow the Summer term is finally here and we are all looking forward to some brighter weather.  We hope you have had a lovely Easter and ate plenty of chocolate!  It has been a busy Easter for us with three successful events.  We had a lovely, but rather wet, walk with our teens around Attingham followed by a well deserved hot drink and browse around the shops.  Our family Easter craft event at the Lantern was popular, the children (and adults!) enjoyed the crafts and some fun and games.  We are wondering if the sticky squishy toy is still stuck high on the wall!  Well done to the teens who took part in our hike at Cardingmill Valley, the weather wasn’t too bad but the muddy ground made things rather interesting at times.  We were all ready for a hot chocolate and game of Uno after the fresh air and April showers!

We would like to give a big shout out to Amy and Ed who have raised over £5000 for Autism West Midlands through their ‘Only Fools and Horses’ auction – Thank You!

We have lots of training coming up both in person and online so please have a look through the list and get booked on, if you can’t get a place it is always worth emailing us to see if we can squeeze you in.  The webinars are a great option as you can watch live or use the recording which is available afterwards for a short time.

We continue to provide online advice appointments and have listed more dates for   April and May. No diagnosis is needed to access this service to Shropshire residents. Face-to-face  appointments can be arranged (usually at Sunflower House but other venues may be possible) if you would prefer this, email the team and they will let you know availability.

Here is an overview of our upcoming events:

Teen Events – Actio All In (ages 11-17 years)

30^th May    Nerdy Café  Shrewsbury – time to be confirmed
22^nd July  Belle Vue Youth Club – pizza making & Leo’s Loco Circus workshop
1^st August – Out and About, venue TBA
5^th August  Belle Vue Youth Club - Activities TBA
15^th August – Out and About, venue TBA
22^nd August  Belle Vue Youth Club - sandwich making and picnic

Teens Online

2^nd May 6-7pm
6^th June 6-7pm

Family Events

31st May – Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre 10.30-12.30
29^th July – Alderford Lake 10.30-12.30
8^th August – British Ironworks 10.30-12.30
12^th August – Medieval Madness Soft Play – (To be confirmed)
29^th August – Ford Hall Farm 11-1

Face to Face Parent Meetings

22^nd April – Coffee and Chat, Shifnal 10.30
26^th April – Coffee and Chat, Oswestry 10.30
29^th April -  Coffee and Chat, Shrewsbury Sunflower House 10
20^th May – Autism and the Teenage Brain 9.30 – 11.30 Sunflower House
June - Jul (6 weeks, dates to be announced soon) – Rising to the Challenge - Early Years , Shrewsbury Sunflower House
28^th June  – Coffee and Chat Oswestry 10.30

Book  sessions at the below link:

https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/

n.b. some may not be bookable yet but will be very soon

Online Training

10^th May -21^st June  Rising to the Challenge – A series of 6 webinars

https://3edea674-300a-4420-9f42-a09bb5469dc4.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/10503912/register?in_tok=63c8ab63-1a5a-4bd5-a27b-bb9f8a2eefd3

Book an online advice appointment with an Autism Specialist Advisor here…

• WEEKLY Teams Advice slots

For those who would like some online advice we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Teams also works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop.  If the  dates/timings of our online advice appointments are not convenient for you, please contact us to make alternative arrangements – scroll down for details.

https://shop.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/collections/events/products/copy-of-online-autism-advice-and-consultation-sessions-shropshire-county 

IMPORTANT – WE EMAIL YOUR TEAMS LINK TO YOU THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR SLOT, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR INBOX INCLUDING SPAM/JUNK TO GET YOUR LINK

• Virtual Support Group for Parents - Wednesday Mornings 10am - 11am & Wednesday Evenings 7.30pm – 8.30pm – 1^st and 3^rd Weds of each month (term time)

Our online support groups meet twice a month via Teams. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. We recommend that you have attended an online advice appointment with a member of the team before joining group sessions (link above).

If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email the team here shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

• Advice and support

We also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact the team directly to arrange an appointment including face-to-face if preferable.

Shropshire office             - 01952 454156

Weds, Thu, Fri                  - Emma Hegenbarth 07881109480

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu         - Dawn Lewis 07706309382

Mon, Tue, Thu                  - Nicola King 07706337511         

Mon, Thu, Fri                    - Kerry McLafferty 07900784186         

Email                                 shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

Please remember - No formal diagnosis is needed to access the AWM Shropshire service and there is no formal referral route – parents/carers can self-refer by booking an advice appointment or contacting us directly on our Shropshire email address.  You can also use our helpline.