Elona, a Romsey Mill Aspire Youth Development Worker, shares an insight into some of the difficulties faced by autistic young people.

We know that a lot of autistic young people find change tough.  Even small adjustments can sometimes feel overwhelming.  Things like holidays, changing schools, or moving homes can be particularly stressful.

At Aspire, one big change our young people go through is moving up to an older youth group, which can be a big adjustment.  Our team uses different support strategies such as positive reinforcement, safe spaces to talk, and gradual exposure to new groups to make this transition feel less scary for our young people.  We have found these strategies to be a huge success.

24 young people successfully moved up to older groups this year.  Our groups celebrated their friends moving into other groups by bringing in sweets and cakes.  Some young people in our Wednesday group choreographed a dance for a friend who was moving up, to cheer her up as she was quite sad about leaving her friends behind.  This made her laugh and leave the session with a smile. 

She said: “I love Aspire, and don’t want to leave [the session] and want it to go on all night.” 

Going through this transitionary change has also encouraged our young people to exchange numbers and stay connected with friends who might not be moving up the older group at the same time. 

Members of our two new groups in Northstowe are getting towards the end of their first full term in Aspire.  Elona reflects positively:

“Looking at the friendships that have formed, you wouldn’t know that they only met a number of months ago. The numbers are still growing in the younger and older groups, and we are excited to see how they both develop.”

The Aspire team in Peterborough has seen young people go from being anxious in a new environment to building strong connections with their peers, gaining confidence to express themselves in front of others. 

We have witnessed our young people's confidence blossom as they build new friendships, bringing with them the spirit and experiences from the younger groups to enrich the older groups. Their worlds get bigger as they move up to older groups; it's great to see them not just cope but thrive in times of change. Their parents have also noticed this, with one saying:

“Aspire seems to be helping our daughter look at her challenges through hearing others talk and share confidences.  This is making her think how to help herself - hurrah! Thanks for facilitating (and monitoring) those crucial, affirming yet challenging conversations.”

Throughout the year, Romsey Mill engages with 2,500 local young people, children and families, supporting mental health and wellbeing through positive, relational youth and family work.  

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