Mum’s praise for town’s ‘autism hub’
ACHARITY which specialises in supporting families affected by autism has been praised by a parent whose son has made ‘astounding progress’ in less than two years.
Laura Beresford’s son George, six, has been taking part in a range of programmes at Macclesfield based Space4Autism, called Space4Kids.
She has since volunteered to become the charity’s secretary after her son was helped.
Mrs Beresford, who lives with George in Rainow, turned to Space4Autism after George, a Puss Bank School pupil, was diagnosed with the condition as a toddler.
Shortly after her son’s condition was confirmed she met Cheryl Simpson, founder of Space4Autism, who was speaking as part of a course offered to parents of children diagnosed with autism.
She said: “I remember meeting a lovely, inspirational lady who talked about a charity Space4Autism and the services and support they could offer.
“The difference in my son since he started attending Space4Kids on a Saturday morning is clear for all to see, and what’s more he absolutely loves spending time there. “He takes part in a range of different activities, all of which have contributed to the astounding progress we have seen over the last 12-18 months.
“Activities such as baking, trips to the park, gardening and sensory play, his favourite, have all helped him develop sharing, turn-taking, following instructions and language and communication skills, all of which are helping him to understand the world a little better.
“I really feel like they have taken the time to get to know my son as an individual, and to understand his difficulties, understanding and use of language is a big issue for him.”
Space4Autism has recently been given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for having a ‘profoundly positive impact’ on the community it serves.
It is also thought to be one of the few such charities in the UK whose aim is to support and enrich the lives of individuals of all ages who are affected by autism spectrum conditions.
Cheryl Simpson founded Space4Autism in 2005 with fellow trustee John McKellar.
“Services like this are needed everywhere but we are the only one as far as I know,” she said.
“There was nothing out there when we started, hence why we started it up. As things progressed it got bigger and bigger. We are hub for everything to do with autism.”