Information for parents

What is it? 

The Kids Autism Hub aims to help people understand autism and how it may affect them and their family.

We do that by providing information about autism, hosting online information and discussion groups, and giving  you links to other autism services around the county. 

Who is it from?

The Kids Autism Hub was commissioned by the NHS in Essex. The three Integrated Care Boards that cover Essex realised there was a need for a service to help people understand autism. 

They commissioned the Autism Hub from Kids, a national charity that has been working with and supporting autistic people and their families for over fifty years. 

Were autistic people involved in making it?

The service was co-produced by families from Essex, Southend, and Thurrock with lived experience of autism. We worked with young people and their parents/carers to plan every aspect of the service. 

The information we provide is split into a range of bite-size topics chosen by the families on our steering groups. It was written by experts with their own lived experience of autism. 

A key part of the information we provide is a range of films in which autistic people, their families, and experts talk about their own experiences of autism. Every expert we feature is either autistic or the parent of an autistic child. 

How do you keep my child safe?

The service was designed with a “privacy by default” mindset. We only gather the information we need to provide the service safely. 

All information is stored securely with a range of industry-standard security measures and has been tested by security experts to ensure it is safe. 

Kids has decades of experience of supporting children and vulnerable adults safely. We have a dedicated safeguarding team and the professionals hosting our webinars are highly experienced in safeguarding. 

How do I know what sort of information they are viewing?

If your child is eligible to access the Kids Autism Hub then so are you. If your child has been given a sign-up link then you can use it to create an account for yourself.

The Autism Hub has two ‘portals’ – one for young people, one for parents/carers. Each provides slightly different information, tailored to the group it serves. 

If you sign up as a parent then you will automatically be assigned to the parent/carer portal. But you can flick a switch to view the young people’s portal any time you want so you can see all the information you child is viewing. 

How do I sign up?

To access the Autism Hub you have two options. You can refer yourself by filling out our self-referral form here. Alternatively you can be referred by an autism professional in the NHS or education. If you are being assessed for autism your NHS team or SENDCO can refer you.

Need more information?

If you would like any further information before you or your child sign up then please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.