Support For Autism

ACRE was founded in 2014 with support from the Department of Health: Autism Innovation Fund. The centre is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth and Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Council.

Since then, ACRE has conducted research and developed evidence-based resources to improve employment opportunities for autistic people.

The Autism Alert Programme supports autistic people if they find themselves in contact with Hampshire Police, Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service or South Central Ambulance Service.
The programme allows anyone who is autistic to get an Alert Card which can then be used to identify their needs and support them in the appropriate manner and contact the named person on the back of the card.

Creating opportunities, challenging perceptions, enhancing choices and providing high quality services to meet the diverse needs of autistic people.

Autism Hampshire is the leading local autism charity delivering quality services across Hampshire (including Southampton and Portsmouth) which are designed to meet the needs of autistic children, young people and adults, their families and professionals. It is our vision to create a better future for autistic people.
We provide autism-focused training, supported living services, community groups for autistic adults, and an Information, Advice and Guidance Team that responds to an average of 12,000 requests for help each year.

Autism Hampshire is a registered charity based in Whiteley, Hampshire with over 50 years experience. Other services include a Local Autism Directory and award-winning community projects such as our Autism Alert Programme for Emergency Services.

Autism Hampshire is also part of Avenues Group - a charity specialising in supporting people with learning disabilities, complex support needs and autistic people across South East England, London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Shropshire.

We provide support for people living in their own homes. Support varies dependent on individual needs, but can include support with personal care, leisure activities, cooking, cleaning and household chores.
People we support include autistic people, people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and physical disabilities.

Our information Advice and Guidance team offers a wide range of free services to support individuals, families, and professionals as well as raising autism awareness within the local community.

This service is available pre, during and post diagnosis via the telephone, by email or by appointment at our Hampshire based office.

We are available on the telephone (Monday to Friday 9 am - 5 pm) and by email.

Autism Hampshire is part of Avenues Group and offers an information, advice, and guidance service for autistic people, their parents, carers and professionals.

The service is available free of charge for people in Hampshire

Our Serendipity Community Groups are a great way for autistic adults to meet in a supportive and non-judgmental setting. Each group is welcoming and encourages new members to join and participate in any way they feel able to. If a new member just wants to come to a group and listen to others, then that is respected and there is no expectation that every member needs to participate.

Some groups are delivered online, and some groups are delivered in person. Groups are facilitated by trained volunteers, our Serendipity team and/or community partner organisations.

Our qualified Specialist Mentors offer 1:1 sessions with students at the University of Portsmouth. This service aims to empower students to develop specific strategies that enable them to overcome barriers to learning and life. To access the mentoring service, students will need to be referred by a funding body. This can either be internally at university, or externally through government schemes. Please visit website for information on how to access this service.

Autism Hampshire offers high-quality training which differs significantly from that offered by many other providers in that the content is created, designed and, wherever possible, delivered by autistic people themselves. We also give priority to the work of autistic authors and academics, and only cite mainstream research if it has been coproduced and/or accurately reflects the lived experience of autistic people.
We offer workshops for parents, schools, external organisations and employers. The aim of each course is to provide insight, advice and support. Each session will explore an autistic person’s unique experiences and suggest practical ways in which their differences can be accommodated and supported. For autistic adults, the aim of these workshops is to support participants towards understanding and accepting who they really are rather than teaching them to ‘mask’ or ‘pass for normal’.

We also offer bespoke training and consultancy as well as providing online training anywhere in the UK and worldwide. By combining first-hand insights, our consultants can offer fresh and authentic perspectives to organisations and workplaces to help accommodate autistic individuals.