A NEW hub, offering holiday clubs for children living with autism and their families, is set to launch in York.

Autistic youngsters in York have a new resource with the launch of All About Autism by York Inspirational Kids. The community interest company, dedicated to helping autistic children and their families, has set up the venture in response to increasing demand for its services.

The hub offers clubs for autistic youngsters from age four to 18-years-old, with a range of activities designed to help develop key social skills, including crafts and outdoor play. There’s also a sensory room.

Managing director at York Inspirational Kids, Ruth Thompson, said: “The kids have set the agenda. They have said what they would like to do – such as learning about different countries, animation and computer coding – so we will structure the activities to the interests of the children.”

Classes and activities are geared to different age groups and take place most evenings after school, as well as at weekends. There’s a maximum of 10 youngsters per group and activities take place year-round, with the exception of Christmas.

Support is also offered to parents, with drop-in sessions and training in a variety of autism-related areas, pre- and post-diagnosis.

“We’re working closely with the City of York Council, CAMHS and the health authority,” said Ruth. “The hub will provide sessions with specialists to help improve support to families and individual children," she added.

Staff said feedback from parents so far has been "amazing" with events in the pipeline including coffee mornings with guest speakers, so parents can join and learn in an informal setting while getting to know other parents going through the same situations.

Ruth added: "The facility is very much needed. It gives the children a sense of belonging, an environment where they can be themselves and don’t have to conform to a neurotypical world, it’s their club and it’s for them to get out of it what they want.

“We currently work with children and their parents within the City of York Council area, but we are constantly contacted by families living in other local authority areas who are desperate for us to help them, too.”

To find out more about the clubs and parent sessions contact the Autism Hub on 01904 780880 or take a look at the new website at: www.yiksaaa.org

York Inspirational Kids has grown from an online support group for parents with disabled children, set up by Ruth Thompson in 2011 - becoming a community interest company in 2015. At the beginning, 23 families took part in the group, but today, the charity works with over 2,100 families in York and surrounding areas.

For further details on York Inspirational Kids, visit the Facebook page.