My name is Annie Hambleton & I have lived in North Devon for over 24 years. My son is in his late 20s and has a diagnosis of ASC & Epilepsy.
My name is Annie Hambleton & I have lived in North Devon for over 24 years. My son is in his late 20s and has a diagnosis of ASC & Epilepsy. Our journey through assessments, diagnosis, education and medical issues was a prolonged & very stressful time and those anxieties rippled through my whole family, and indeed my extended family. I definitely needed likeminded friends.
I joined the North Devon Forum for ASC & ADHD when my son was about 6 so I could talk to people in a similar position to gain some guidance, insight and confidence from other parents and professionals. This has been both a valued and positive experience that has shaped me into being a more confident and assertive person who is happy to explore options and ask questions. I have been a Trustee for the Forum for a considerable time now I help out at various promotional events and monthly drop-in coffee mornings held at Roundswell Community Centre. As my son is now soon to be heading into his 30smy areas of interest are also focused on supported employment, training in life skills and provision and supply of supported living within North Devon. I also have knowledge about PIP, UC and other benefits such as Carers Allowance. I am exploring how to organise the financial future of my family too as autism and disability in general does have an impact on this. We all carry information, individual and unique experiences between us but unless we meet up and talk and explore this the power and use of this is lost. The Forum provides a platform to physically meet up and to share information within our members fb page. Join us and become a member and help yourself on your journey and you can help someone else by just supporting us and other members by sharing your experiences. We all learn from each other and it is important to stay up to date with information, Gov policy changes and benefit systems evolving.