Fife

WHAT WAS FOUND

• The ENABLE U Project in the Fife and Forth Valley areas. This project will support families with children who are in the early process of getting or have recently received a diagnosis of a learning disability.  A time of extreme anxiety and adjustment for families as they come to terms with the diagnosis and what this means for them and their children.
  • Create personalised outcome based Family Support Plans
  • Promote community networks for families
  • Support families to build awareness & skills needed for the future
  • Signpost families to local resources, agencies and voluntary organisations
  • Support for whole families, including siblings

For more information on Enable U Project, click here.

Fife Council provides:

• Autism Spectrum Info and Support Team (ASIST) support teachers in an advisory capacity by aiding them to understand the implications of a diagnosis for young people with autism. They discuss strategies with the teachers so that they are able to support children with this diagnosis. School staff can request support and advice from ASIST, working with staff to give them the support they need and in doing so, providing an autism friendly environment.

Mood Café provides:

• An online resource to help promote positive, mental health. Information is provided on the diagnosis of autism, supporting parents with additional resources.
• Information provided covers a wide range of issues out with autism including stress, wellbeing and lifestyle, and information resources for carers. The information is targeted at all age ranges from children to adults; there is also a section for parents and carers.

National Autistic Society provides:

• As the UK leading charity for Autism, they provide information, support, and specialist services.

NHS Fife provides:

• Information pack for parents of newly diagnosed children
• Clinical psychology services

One Stop Shop (Fife) provides:

• Post diagnostic workshops provided by the NHS: Early bird, Early Bird Plus and PAPAP programmes.
• Adult post diagnostic workshops and workshops for their loved ones “Understanding my ASD diagnosis”
• Siblings under 16 yrs old workshops based on the “I am Special” book.
• Signposting to local agencies for families.
• A drop in service from point of diagnosis
• Social work referrals.
• One to one family support provided.
• Children’s and YP directory of services in Fife booklet.
• One to one support provided for individual.
• Professional support provided.

• Support and information for those with physical, communication or sensory issues. Access given to computer-based and physical communication aids.
• Resource library containing specialist materials including books, journals, and videos

Fife Council provides: 

• The Fife Assessment Centre for Communication through Technology (FACCT) provides a Fife-wide service to children and adults whose communication ability is limited due to a severe oral communication difficulty.  This may have resulted from conditions present from birth, such as cerebral palsy or learning disabilities, or develop later in life, from conditions such as head injury, motor neurone disease or stroke.

• An alternative to traditional therapy/counselling, Horse Power Scotland Ltd provides horse based therapy which allows young people and adults to improve their mental health.
• They allow both young people and adults to experience positive communication, assertiveness, and responsibility, build confidence and self-esteem.

One Stop Shop (Fife) provides:

• Working in partnership with Relationship Scotland, the OSS currently provides couples counselling to couples where one partner has ASD (funded until summer 2015; referrals are still being taken and if there is a demand this may be continued).

Options in Life provides:

• A parent run, charity organisation which provides support and information to people who have additional needs in areas such as education, training, healthy living, and life skills development.
• Supporting 18 to 30 year olds with autism and other disabilities in structured peer groups across Fife, the North East and Central Belt.
• Social activities for parents and children including a summer programme of activities.
• Access to resources online for social inclusion.

Parents Autism Workshop and Support (PAWS) provides:

• Charity organisation which specialises in providing support to autistic children and their parents, exploring with them the potential that a dog may bring to their family.
• Dogs for the disabled – Advice and training given to families, with a specialist section in PAWS for families with an autistic child. Training is provided to families in three one-day workshops over three months. Ongoing support is also provided after the workshops.

• Dunfermline Advocacy Initiative (West Fife) http://www.dunfermlineadvocacy.org/
• Include Me (NE Fife ) http://www.includeme.org.uk/
• Equal Voice (Central Fife ) http://www.equalvoice.org.uk/

Dimensions UK provides:

• Autism friendly cinema screenings, shown at over 250 cinemas, working in partnership with VUE, Cineworld, Odeon and Showcase. Screenings offer low lighting, low volume with the ability of individuals to move around in the cinema.
• Each month, participating cinemas show a different movie from a selection of new releases and classics, suitable for all age ranges.

ENABLE Scotland provides:

• Provide befriending opportunities for individuals with autism.

Fife Action on Autism provides:

• Children/ teen social groups.

Kindred provides:

• Play sessions at Gambado Softplay (Edinburgh) which are specifically designed for children with autism.

Link Befriending provides:

• befriending to adolescents and adults in East Fife.

Appaws for Autism works in four areas of society - support, education, assistance dogs and awareness.  Offers 24/7, 365 days a year support to families, one to one support and home visits.    Provides advocacy for families for educational/health/social care.  Has an autism assistance dog programme and offers ASD workshops as part of their partnership as associate trainers for The Curly Hair Project throughout Scotland.  This can be to schools, businesses, services, LAs, shops, healthcare, ASD individuals and their families.  Provides horse therapy, a petting zoo, kennels, ASD young teens and adults SVQ programmes, astro turf, games room, visiting SLT and OT specialists, 4 purpose built apartments for young adults who would like a start at independence.  3 fun clubs - at St Ninians Community Church in Abbeyview every second Sunday from 2pm to 4pm, Letham Glen Centre in Leven and Glasgow Sporty Kidz on the first Monday of each month.

• A parent support Facebook page and website.

Aberlour Options provides:

• Offers a range of support services through outreach and residential short breaks to families who have children and young people, up to age 18 years.

Barnardo’s provides:

• A charity organisation who offer support to families of individuals with disabilities. They meet with the family and any other relevant person / professional to discuss the difficulties which exist, and agree on a plan of work with the family which will outline the level of support and advice, frequency of contact and types of support.

Falkland House School provides:

• Accredited by the National Autistic Society, Falkland House School specialises in the education of boys who require additional learning support.
• They can provide a residential facility during the school period; which can be up to 52 weeks depending on the needs of the child’s family.

Fife Council provides:

• Respite services via home care, Meals on Wheels and day care.

Appaws for Autism works in four areas of society - support, education, assistance dogs and awareness.  Offers 24/7, 365 days a year support to families, one to one support and home visits.    Provides advocacy for families for educational/health/social care.  Has an autism assistance dog programme and offers ASD workshops as part of their partnership as associate trainers for The Curly Hair Project throughout Scotland.  This can be to schools, businesses, services, LAs, shops, healthcare, ASD individuals and their families.  Provides horse therapy, a petting zoo, kennels, ASD young teens and adults SVQ programmes, astro turf, games room, visiting SLT and OT specialists, 4 purpose built apartments for young adults who would like a start at independence.  3 fun clubs - at St Ninians Community Church in Abbeyview every second Sunday from 2pm to 4pm, Letham Glen Centre in Leven and Glasgow Sporty Kidz on the first Monday of each month.

• Working with Remploy, the National Autistic Society aims to increase the number of autistic people who are entering employment.
• They assist in developing skills that are relevant to entering into a working environment, including self-confidence and CV writing.

Scottish Autism provides:

• Knowledge Share events – seminars based on supporting individuals with autism to acquire and develop skills for independent living.

ENABLE Scotland provides:

• Together with many partners, works to enable young people with disabilities to develop their skills and talents, allowing a transition from school to adult life.

Fife Council provides:

• Autism Spectrum Info and Support Team (ASIST) provides access to work experience one day per week to allow young people to gain experience in a working environment. Their ICT Team supports young people to improve their technological skills.

NHS Fife provides:

• Psychometric testing.

• Resource provided by the Scottish Government to be used with autistic children within mainstream schools.
• Sections of the toolbox deal with transitions and change, providing information and support during this time.

Fife Council provides:

• A Supported Employment Service.

IWORK4ME provides:

• Supported self-employed initiative programme targeted towards people who need extra support to become self-employed.
• Providing people with autism information and support regarding the benefits of becoming self-employed. Ongoing support through business advice and mentoring.

Skills Development Scotland provides:

• Online questionnaire specific for young people with autism, helping them during transition and to plan their future career.

• Enable Us Family Support Services

One Stop Shop (Fife) provides:

• Application forms for the Autism Alert Card
• Applications for Fife Council ‘in case of emergency’ card.

Talk Matters provides:

• A confidential counselling service for people in Fife; can help with a wide range of problems including depression, anxiety, stress, and anger.

The Richmond Fellowship provides:

• Positive Behaviour Support.

• Provides family programmes offering workshops to parents based on challenging behaviours such as sleep, toileting, and sensory issues.

NHS Fife provides:

• Occupational Therapists providing support with repetitive behaviours.

• Dedicated section on their website covering “The Sensory World of Autism”

Autism Toolbox provides:

• Contains information on sensory issues experienced by early years, primary and secondary children.

The Falkirk Council provides:

A booklet on “Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour”

NHS Fife provides:

• Occupational Therapists providing support with repetitive behaviours.

• Lifeskills courses – supported college courses, for young adults who have additional support needs. It is designed to ease the transition from school to college.
• Aspire and Support for Learning – Aspire course is aimed at providing school-leavers with additional support needs, an opportunity to develop personal, social and vocational skills. The course covers areas such as living skills, woodwork, painting and decorating, personal and social education, and enterprise. Other learning supports are also available.

One Stop Shop (Fife) provides:

• a partnership with Fife Council’s supported employment service to provide social skills for employment workshops.

• Fife Sensory Support Service assists children who are deaf and/or have vision loss

NHS Fife provides:

• Audiology department at Victoria Hospital

See also:

Drugs and Alcohol http://www.dapl.net/home/

Quarriers (epilepsy) http://www.quarriers.org.uk/

Sleep Scotland http://www.sleepscotland.org/ (referrals can be made directly to the OSS)