Training with Ap Cymru – The Neurodiversity Charity
Our staff completed Level 1 – An Introduction to Neurodiversity, a unique CPD-accredited Neurodiversity Training course that is designed, developed and delivered by Neurodiverse people.
The course taught us everything and more there was to know for an introduction to neurodiversity and the neurodiverse community, expanding our skills and enabling us to create more of a bond when speaking to clients. And of course, we have to give a mention to Karen and Tracey for providing the training on the day.
To name a few, conditions like ADHD, Autism, OCD, Dyspraxia and Epilepsy all fall under the Neurodiverse umbrella.
AP Cymru provide a peer support outreach service for families going through the diagnostic process, and the crucial months which follow, by pooling together their lived experience to provide a warm, friendly, and accessible service. The majority of their staff are Neurodiverse and are parents to Neurodiverse children, so they are able to provide well-rounded, positive, and understanding information to parent/carers.
Their families can access teir Parent Support & Wellbeing Services and Family Activity & Wellbeing Programme that include a wide variety of workshops, training courses, clinics, guest speakers, and family fun sessions. The waiting lists for therapies and other services in most areas are incredibly long, therefore the workshops we facilitate allow parent/carers to access general information from professionals while they wait for their child to reach the top of the waiting lists for more individualised programmes.
They also provide CPD accredited Neurodiversity training which consists of fun and interactive workshops for organisations and businesses of all shapes and sizes, creating opportunities to engage in continued professional development which enhance the day-to-day experiences of thousands of Neurodiverse people and their families. This in turn assists with ending the stigma which is still sadly linked to Neurodiversity within our society. Their workshops and talks are not just for adults. They provide assemblies and save other talks within schools, catering for all ages and stages from the Early Years Foundation Phase (KS1) through to Key Stage 5.
Ap Cymru was founded in 2010 by Karen following the diagnosis of her youngest son. Since then, she has been the driving force behind the charity whilst still maintaining the personal, family-like feeling which AP families know and love.
Karen has extensive knowledge of autism and related conditions, both professionally and personally, as a parent of 2 autistic sons and also being autistic herself. She has trained as a sleep practitioner and also a Lego therapist.
Over the twelve years of AP Cymru – Karen has been involved with more than a thousand autistic people and their families. She is hugely proud of the fantastic diverse team that manage the Charity on a daily basis.
Ap Cymru is a registered charity in England & Wales (No. 1148010)
Also a special thanks to Pontypridd Rugby Club for the use of their venue and MCJA Catering for suppling our staff with incredible food.