Wokingham

Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be a full time job for parents and carers. But following an awareness day organised by Wokingham District Council last January, attended by more than 100 parents in the district with ASD-affected children, a band of pro-active parents formed their own action group for mutual support.

Wokingham Autism Support for Parents (WASP) works with a multi-agency team of professionals on a five-year development plan for children with autism in the Wokingham district. They have also set up a parent support group that has been so successful it has divided into two – one group to further local service delivery, and one to support parents with the sharing of knowledge and experiences.

Wokingham Cllr Iain Brown, the Wokingham council chairman, usually presents a small gift and a plaque each month to an individual or group that has given good service to the community. The WASP parents won February’s award for their leading role in developing the ASD support network in the district. On Friday February 24, WASP representatives Stephen Abery, Wendy Bird, Cathy Fastnedge and Helen Lodge visited the chairman’s civic offices at Shute End, Wokingham to receive their gift of flowers and a special plaque.

“The WASP parents took a leading role in developing the council’s autism webpage, which receives an incredible number of enquiries, including those from other authorities who need advice,” said Cllr Brown. “WASP is an invaluable service to parents with children on the spectrum, and their work is a real example of good practice that is highly valued by Wokingham District Council.”

Wokingham District Council