Charity helps 'isolated' neurodivergent children

ASD Family Help runs play session across Wokingham and West Berkshire

Parents have praised sessions run a Berkshire charity for helping "socially isolated" neurodivergent young people.

ASD Family Help runs across Wokingham and West Berkshire and has received funding from BBC Children in Need.

Its sessions aim to offer a non-judgemental space for young people, some of who have been excluded from mainstream after school clubs.

Athirah, whose son Yusuf attends the sessions said: "He really enjoys it, he'll join all the activities and try his best. He feels he belongs."

Project leader Rachael Chandler said: "The children all have different additional needs. Some of the most common ones would be autism or ADHD.

"A lot of the time as a neurodivergent young person a lot of masking happens to hide the sensory processing differences or the difficulties that some of them have socialising and interacting with others."

ASD Family Help has received funding from BBC Children in Need

Sarah, whose son George attends the sessions, said: "These are the children who, because of their neurodivergence, are socially isolated, so to be able to come to a party and play, honestly it's just wonderful."

Teenager Matthew said: "We play tag. Sometimes I just sit down when I feel I should take a break and come back when I'm ready. I really enjoy it.

Mrs Chandler said they had received funding for three years from Children in Need, which has kept numerous sessions going.

"It's really hard to describe how valuable that is," she added.