What our Families Say 
"I was Desperate for Someone to Listen..."
Matthew's family story
Matthew's Mother told us: "I thought I was going mad! I had a son who at two seemed to be doing some really odd things, plus his speech had not developed from baby noises at 6 months."
Those first couple of years of a child's life can be confusing and create alot of self doubt - especially in Mums. She continued: "My friends and even my Doctor tried to reassure me that he was fine, "it's a boy thing", "he'll catch up".
It is always difficult to know the difference between good instincts and being told you have 'maternal paranoia'. It is always those instincts that must win - against all the words of advice that will come to you. Matthew's Mum continued: "I was desperate for someone to listen and reassure me that I wasn't going mad! I had heard of 'the little group' and called them but fully expected a similar reaction to usual. To my surprise they asked to visit us at home."
This is a unique service - at 'the little group' we strongly believe that children are best introduced to us in the security and familiarity of their own environment. She added: "Within an hour of meeting Matthew 'the little group' staff were able to understand Matthew in a way no other person had done before. He was offered a place at 'the little group' immediately and to be honest, I wept in utter relief!"
We caught up with Matthew's Mum after he had been attending 'the little group' for a year. She told us: "One year on and Matthew has an official diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder. We are overwhelmed with the progress he has made at 'the little group' and how much the staff understand his needs - often more than I do. They have a programme designed especially for him."
"We owe 'the little group' our eternal thanks for everything they have done for Matthew and our family - 'the little group' is a very special place!"
Lewis's Family Story
Lewis's family told us: "the little group are masters of communication! They keep us informed of our son's progress on a daily basis and are always happy to listen to our concerns offering advice where appropriate."
At 'the little group', we feel strongly that communication with families is key: "At the start of each term the staff provide us with a list of topics that will be covered and which words will be focused on during a particular session. This has proved invaluable as it has allowed us to continue the topic at home practising these words and helping our son to communicate."
Our regular family workshops always prove popular with parents who have often received little information about their child's difficulties: "We found the workshops run by 'the little group' Team invaluable. The teaching methods and strategies the staff shared with us have helped us to understand and better manage our son's behaviours." Our children can often be confused in a very confusing world and their first line of both defense and communication can be reflected in their behaviour.
"The care and respect the staff consistently show Lewis has helped him to settle quickly. This, coupled with their understanding of his specific needs, has resulted in a happy little boy who is progressing well." "'the little group' has created a positive environment where every child is treated with dignity and respect.......it's a nice place to be!. We could go on......!"
Johnny's Family Story
Johnny's family told us: "When Johnny was first diagnosed I was lost, but since not one but two paediatricians had recommended 'the little group', I had somewhere to turn. Johnny has come on so much during his year at 'the little group' both in his social understanding and with his language that I can highly recommend it!"
We would like to thank the families for taking the time to share their positive comments and stories
Other quotes from families
"We will always be indebted to the staff of 'the little group' for getting us through some dark times and making them great times."
"We as parents, have come from a position of feeling utter hopelessness to being very positive for what the future holds."
"A huge double thank you to the team at 'the little group' - not only have you done amazing work with J and our whole family, but you've also dispelled my rotten attitude to education once and for all!"