“This was the best interaction I’ve ever had with professionals, they were super supportive and consistently made sure I was comfortable, and really took the time to understand me and my needs”.
“Very pleased that we were able to take advantage of their skills to assist [our son] in getting the diagnosis and help that he needs”.
“It was very clear that you were very knowledgeable about autism. I was very anxious before the assessment but you helped me to calm down and be able to talk to you. I was given enough space and time to talk about things and made me feel safe to disclose some things that were very difficult for me. You helped me to feel comfortable during the session by allowing me to use my fidget objects and listened and encouraged me if I was not sure about things. I was given a lot of information and before the meeting and before we had even decided to go ahead with the assessment Debbie took a lot of time to talk to me in a very supportive way which put me at ease. You took time to find out about how long I could concentrate for and split up the sessions so I could manage them without getting overloaded. You wanted to know if I needed different lighting or how loud I needed it and checked I understood everything. I was able to bring in my mum to support me when I was worried about the result of the assessment and you gave it to me early and didn’t make me wait because you knew I was worried. You took time to talk to my whole family to make sure everyone understood what you had found out. I was given a lot of information about how to get further help if I needed it and you offered to talk to my therapist about doing counselling with people with autism”.
“It was a real pleasure to talk to people who really understood the complexity and subtlety of my son’s autism….it was great to see how you got beneath the surface to get the real story from him. You were kind, empathetic, encouraging and generous…The diagnosis has made all the difference to [our son]. He feels he can “own” his autism now and it has enabled him to apply for funding to get the support he needs…developing this team around him makes me more comfortable and hopeful for the future…our relationship has been transformed by this process…His sessions with you both gave him the words and confidence to talk about [difficult things] for the first time. I now feel that our relationship is on a much more equal, adult footing than ever before. The relationship has grown in maturity. You have both been incredibly kind and nothing has ever seemed too much trouble. The information, guidance and signposting to more sources of support will be invaluable. Thank you both for everything, you are truly amazing!”