For families in St Helens

Our community based learning opportunities improve understanding, develop skills and share experiences so that you can better support your child or young person.

Learning Programmes and Workshops*

Community Network Groups

Information & Advice

*Our commissioned offer for families is open access and completely free. There is no referral or diagnosis needed. We are here for your family from the very beginning of the journey, to support you to understand challenging behaviour, identify characteristics of neurodiversity and explore strategies to improve difficult situations at home and school.

ADDvanced Solutions helps families to grow together...

without the support from ADDvanced Solutions and the knowledge and understanding that I have learned, I am not quite sure where I would quite be.... I didn't understand my son but now I understand him so much more. The friendships I have made from coming to the Advanced Solutions groups have given me overwhelming support and they just bring so much comfort each week.

I have learned a lot of coping strategies coming here so I would definitely recommend ADDvanced Solutions for that. But knowledge is power and knowing more about it definitely makes you more able to cope with it and deal with it.

Learning Programmes & Workshops for St Helens Families

Through our community-based groups, we offer free programmes and learning opportunities that support the families of neurodivergent children & young people, who may also have specific learning difficulties or associated mental health needs.

We also offer weekly informal learning, advice and support at our community network groups, no need to wait or book just come along.

ND Conditions Learning Programme

Covering Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Difficulties as well as specific learning difficulties, SEND and the local offer, the neurodevelopmental conditions learning programme gives parents and carers the knowledge and confidence to better understand and meet the needs of their neurodivergent children and young people. This programme is open access to families pre, during and post diagnosis.

Our next programme will online on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning 5th August – 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Book online programme here

Our next face to face programme in St Helens is across 3 Fridays, 7th, 14th and 21st November.

Autism Learning Programme

Designed to help parents and carers, whose child or young person has received a diagnosis of Autism, to develop their understanding of the condition. Although priority will be given to parents and carers whose child has received an autism diagnosis, those on the pathway are also able to attend if places are available.

Sessions will cover:

communication skills
sensory processing differences
self-esteem and mental well-being
different thought processes
discussing a diagnosis
supporting independence

Parents will learn valuable strategies for supporting their children with daily life and with their special educational needs and enabling them to achieve their full potential.

Our next Autism Learning programme in St Helens is across 3 Mondays – 15th, 22nd and 29th September – 9.30am – 2.30pm.

Preparing for the Future Learning Programme

We are newly commissioned in St Helens to offer learning opportunities to parents and carers of neurodivergent young people aged 11+. This is a structured, 6 session learning programme, delivered face to face or online, supporting parents and carers as their young person approaches adulthood:

Planning for transition
Supporting independence
Reasonable adjustments and SEND
Further education and employment
Independent living
Community inclusion
Relationships
Good health and wellbeing
Local provision and services.

Next programme is online across 6 evening in September and October, details to be confirmed – contact us to register your interest.

This coming half term we are also running a Preparing for the Future programme for young people online, suitable for neurodivergent teenagers- prompting them to think about the future, explore their own goals and gain their own strategies and independence skills.

Contact us to register your interest.

Learning Workshops

Structured online learning opportunities, delivered on-line, supporting parents and carers around specific areas such as:

Sensory Processing Difficulties
Eating Difficulties
Supporting Sleep
Barriers to School Attendance
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Behaviours that challenge
SEND Process & EHCPs
Encouraging Independence
Preparing for the Future

Our workshop on Demand Avoidance is online on Friday 6th June – 9.30am -12pm. Exploring Autism with a Demand Avoidant Profile and strategies to support autistic children and young people presenting with varying degrees of demand avoidance.

ND and Me (ages 8-14)

In small groups, we provide learning opportunities for children and young people to better understand themselves and their neurodiversity, build confidence, find strategies to manage their challenges and feel positive about the future. Requires parents / carers to have completed our ND Learning Programme.

Post Diagnosis Autism Coaching

Once parents and carers have completed the Autism Learning programme, their children aged 11-19 can then access 1:1 coaching support to help them to understand their diagnosis, build strategies to manage their challenges and feel positive about the future.

St Helens Community Network Group

Our St Helens Community Network Group runs each Tuesday afternoon in term time, 12.30pm-2.30pm at Wonderland Community Centre Unit 4 Reflection Court, Canal Street, St Helens, WA10 3JQ. We offer a weekly opportunity for informal learning and support, discussing a different topic each week and sharing experiences and the local offer in your area.

St Helens Community Network Group is back on Tuesday 9th September. In the meantime see our online learning opportunities.

Supporting you to find the answers around:

St Helens SEND Local Offer

ADDvanced Solutions Community Network are part of the SEND Local Offer in St Helens.

St Helens Local Offer has lots of information about Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). The Local Offer helps you understand what services and support you can expect from a range of local partners.