Stand together and share the journey
Our Ethos & Commitment to Supporting Families...
The word child/children is used to refer to any aged child/young adult that is in your family.
At one time or another we have all experienced services that blame, judge and belittle us as parents. This can be very disheartening and morally draining, damaging the resilience we need to look after our families.
Many families who have approached services for help and advice report feeling accused, undermined, criticised, lectured or made to feel that their concerns about their children have been diminished, denied or ignored. This in itself is an unhealthy and an unacceptable way for families to be treated.
mASCot is unique to B&H as it is specifically for autistic children and young adults, rather than pan-disability, and is run and managed by parents of autistic children, not by people who have no understanding of the experience of parenting a child who is autistic.
We are actively championing the improvement of autism services and are trying to highlight the lack of understanding of autistic children and their families within the Health service, the Education system, schools and Social Care.
Bringing up an autistic child is one of the hardest and most rewarding roles a parent/carer can have. How you cope with this journey depends on the support you receive, regardless of what stage you're at. Whether it be from your first concerns with your child development, handling the minefield of diagnosis or lack of diagnosis or whether you have lived with autism in your family for years.
People thrive with support and understanding and feel diminished without it.
Many of us fight so hard to get the diagnosis and acknowledgment of our child's extra needs that we forget or are not directed towards the support we need or given the skills to look after ourselves.
Here at mASCot we have created a place that is non-judgmental, supportive and informative. Our main ethos is to have positive regard for all our families, to empower and strengthen them throughout their journey.
"Supporting each other as families is our top priority. Being there for each other is so vital in maintaining the strength to carry on supporting ourselves and battling for all we need and deserve. Whether this is just unburdening a problem or attending meetings with parents, it all adds up to the fact that we are not alone and there is always someone else who knows how you feel. We are the most important people in our children's lives - we value and respect each other for the vitally important job we do every day.
We truly are amazing parents!!"
-mASCot
