Autism East Midlands offers Autism Family Support Hubs, which are free for families to access.

The hubs are for parents/carers, and children 11 and under to attend, and no autism diagnosis is necessary as we realise the time taken to obtain a diagnosis can be a barrier to support for many. Siblings are also welcome. Families can go to whichever hub is most convenient for them, and can access multiple hubs if they would like to, but attached is the poster for your local hub, Leicester. They are free of charge.

They follow the same template, offering fun activities for children and support for parents/carers, but each hub will be a little different due to the location. The hubs are really relaxed and non-judgemental, with a variety of things to do, and give children a chance to play and parents/carers a chance to chat to others parents in similar circumstances, or to our knowledgeable hub staff. There's no pressure to take part in anything, or to make anything, and if there is an option to make a  food activity there's no pressure to actually eat it either. Some children sit and play with one toy the whole time, others just run around and don’t really settle to anything - as long they're happy we don’t care! They are drop in sessions so no need to turn up at the start or stay to the end, and no need to book on – families can just come along when it suits them.