• The National Autistic Society

393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG, Tel: Switchboard – 020 7833 2299

Information, advice and support, Tel: 0845 070 4004

e-mail: nas@nas.org.uk

Website: www.oneworld.org/autism_uk

Runs education and adult centres, publishes books and leaflets, has a library available to parents and researchers, runs an autism helpline for parents, carers and those with autism spectrum disorders, organises conference and training programmes, offers specialist diagnosis and assessment services, encourages research, supports local groups and families, runs Prospects – a supported employment service for adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Parent to parent telephone support: 0800 9 520 520.

Parents can call at any time and leave a message on the freephone number and a parent volunteer will call them back. Because volunteers are all parents themselves, they are able to talk at various times, including evenings and weekends. (Information taken from NAS leaflet.)

• OAASIS

Office for Advice, Assistance, Support and Information on Special Needs

(Set up by the Hesley Group)

Hesley Group Head Office, The Coach House, Hesley Hall, Tickhill, Doncaster DN11 9HH. Tel: 01302 866906

Hesley Group Southern Office, Brock House, Grigg Lane, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7RE. Tel: 01590 624484.

Website: http://www.hesleygroup.co.uk

OAASIS offers information on various learning difficulties, advice on assessment and statementing, prospectuses of all 9 Hesley Group special schools, college and adult provision, publications – quick, easy reference guides to many learning disorders, advisory days for parents.

(Information taken from OAASIS leaflet.)

• Handicapped Adventure Playground Association Ltd (HAPA)

Hapa runs five adventure playgrounds in London for children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs. All are open during school holidays for individual children/groups and for siblings and friends. Various after-school schemes/clubs are offered and playgrounds also open on Saturdays.

Hapa, Pryor’s Bank,

Bishop’s Park

London SW6 3LA

National Information Line: 020 7731 1435  

• Holiday Care Service

Provides free information on holidays for people with special needs. The Service also produces a booklet on holiday and short break accommodation, suitable for carers, either travelling alone or with a person with a disability.

Holiday Care Service

2^nd Floor, Imperial Buildings,

Victoria Road, Horley,

Surrey RH6 7PZ

Tel: 01293 774535

Fax: 01293 784647  

• Riding for the Disabled Association

Has many groups throughout the country. RDA produces a list of National Holidays annually in February.

RDA,

Avenue ‘R’, National Agricultural Centre,

Kenilworth,

Warwickshire CV8 2LY

Tel: 01203 696510 

(Information taken from NAS Resource List)

• IPSEA (Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice)

A registered charity providing advice on LEA’s legal duties towards children with special educational needs, free second professional opinions for parents who disagree with an LEA’s assessment of their child’s special educational needs, and free representation at the Special Needs tribunal when parents want to appeal against an LEA decision.

Advice line: 0800 0184016 or 01394 382814.

For Tribunal appeals only: 01394 384711

General inquiries: 01394 380518

Website: http:/www.ipsea.org.uk/

• ACE (Advisory Centre for Education)

Offers advice and publishes handbooks including the ACE Special Educational Handbook; Tribunal Toolkit: Going to the SEN Tribunal; Appealing for a School, and various summaries of the law.

Tel: 020 7354 8321 

• Asperger United

Published four times a year – a newsletter written by and for people with Asperger Syndrome. The newsletter is suitable for adolescents and adults with autism and Asperger syndrome. Parents and professionals are, however, welcome to subscribe.

For further details contact The National Autistic Society, tel: 020 7833 2299. 

• On-line Asperger Syndrome Information Service (OASIS – an American organisation) website. A great deal of useful information can be found from this site, much of it for teachers.

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

• The TEACCH website is worth visiting and in particular its article Structured Teaching.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/teacch/structur.htm. 

• The Center for the Study of Autism has several good papers on childhood autism, theory of mind.

http://www.autism.org/contents.html 

• Horizon is a joint UK/European employment initiative supporting training, vocational guidance, counselling and job creation schemes for people with a learning disability. More information from the DfEE Support Unit (Tel: 0121 616 3660 or 3661).

Website: http://www.employment.ecotec.co.uk

• Prospects is a supported employment scheme for people with autism/Asperger syndrome set up by the National Autistic Society, 393 City Road, London EC1V 1NE, Tel: 0207 903 3597 

• SKILL – the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, helps with further and higher education and employment throughout the UK. 336 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AA, Tel: 0207 274 0565 

• Golden Lane Housing

(Registered charity established by The Royal Society Mencap in 1998)

Run Shared Ownership scheme and Secure Futures Scheme. Golden Lane Housing, Mencap, London EC1B 1AA

Website: www.glh.org.uk  

• For information about the Camphill Communities, contact:

The Association of Camphill Communities

Gawain House, 56 Welham Road, Norton Malton,

North Yorkshire YO17 9DP

Tel: 01653 694 197

Fax: 01653 600 001

e-mail: info@camphill.org.uk

website: www.camphill.org.uk