Review testimonials from our client's sharing their experience of South West Autism from 2006 to present.  We would like to say a big thank you to all who have provided us with feedback.
Feedback received September 2021 from Exeter School:
MJH - Exeter School ..

I have had so many people talking to me about your sessions...

Every teacher needs to hear this” was the feedback from many.
 “This will be so useful this year for when I teach…..”  and “I wish I had known all this years ago”.  

So a huge thank you to you.  We will undoubtedly be a more ASC-friendly school as a result and will continue to move in this direction.


Feedback received - November 2020
I just wanted you to know that **** is back!
He started ***** in September, he’s doing really well, he’s enjoying it, he’s making friends and all the staff think he’s great!

HOORAY!!!!!!

They started him off in a year 9/10 group because they thought he would really struggle but moved up to the year 10/11 group before half term and is doing GCSE Maths, which is exactly where he should be (despite the 3 years out!)

YAAY!!

 I have to say the biggest THANK YOU to you guys and all that you did for us to enable us to get to where we are now. When all else had failed, you came in with your knowledge and experience and picked us up when everyone else had given up and talked our language just when we needed it the most. You and your team do such a vital, valuable, skilled job, I honestly don’t know where we would be now without your support.
I have wanted to get in contact ever since he finished his first week, I think I wanted that ‘yes, we did it, its over’ feeling. I guess its never ‘over’, but its definitely a truly fabulous feeling that we have our **** back, going out into the world, using that brain of his, being the lovely, strong willed soul that he is, chatting to his friend on the phone at night, sleeping most of the weekend because he’s actually tired from being at school all week and just generally being a 15 year old boy.

Words don’t seem enough really but, thank you, so much

With much love and respect,


Discovering Rainbows Feedback Summer 2019
This has been the most supportive provision we have accessed. Being together with others, sharing our experiences, in a safe and informative environment has helped us to feel that we can move forward as a family with positivity and understanding. Lisa's knowledge is delivered with insight, good humour and is relevant to all families with young people with Autism.
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South west Autism's Discovering Rainbows course was very useful for myself, my partner and other family members in explaining the intricacies and challenges faced by our autistic children and how to support them and manage day to day challenges. Lisa is professional but approachable and warm.

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Opens your mind to the world your child lives in, offers support and training and goes above and beyond to help you understand your child.
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Helped me understand my son's PDA and anxiety
2019 Autism and Me/ Need to Know groups 
The views of some of our young people who attended:

Thursday evenings have been just amazing. It's got a lot off my chest that I wouldn't have been able to do anywhere else.   

Thursday evenings have been very good and informative. 

Thursday evenings have been a great opportunity to express our feelings about life and the world. I have had a really good time coming to these sessions.

2019 Training for Exeter Airport
Thank you so much for the training, have had great feedback from everyone, and those that haven’t been able to attend are asking when the next course is…!!
 
We have a very busy few months ahead of us.. but would love to book another course soon…
 

2017 Parent B
Speaking as the parents of a teenage boy on the Autistic Spectrum, we could not praise this service highly enough. Several years ago, when our son had no official diagnosis, no eligibility for any type of specialised support and we, as parents felt isolated and alone we were fortunate enough to 'discover' this vital support service.
 
From day one we have been made welcome and had the privilege of receiving advice, companionship and support when needed from Lisa, Greg and all the staff who work tirelessly to support both the children using the service, their parents and their wider family. I can confidently say that without this service, which without the time, dedication and compassion of the entire South-west Autism Team and of course vital funding, this wonderful organisation would cease to exist.
 
My son benefits hugely from the social interaction opportunities, the activities and the experienced support staff. I am delighted he has access to this service and he and we often enjoy attending their regular solo and family activities, each of which is well run and great fun.
 
As parents we benefit from social interactions with parents in similar situations, which means we can be relaxed in their company, while at the same time receiving superb advice and support  from both  South-west Autism and the other members.
 
Since this type of service, delivered with this aplomb and professionalism is almost unique in this part of the world and given the enormous amount of work they do and support they provide to children and their families in great need of that support I would urge any persons or organisations reading to support South-west Autism as greatly as possible, to empower them to continue leading the way in professional, compassionate and above all effective support services.

Parent 2017 : Girls Group has been a godsend for my daughter. Not only does it give her a chance to meet and mix with girls that are more on her wavelength (which she does not get anywhere else), but she listens and learns to things that she finds difficult to hear and learn from us at home. We are delighted that C is making connections with other girls in the group and are truly grateful for the experience the staff have to offer in guiding our daughter through the more difficult areas of life on the spectrum for a girl. We struggle to get C to engage socially, so it’s a true measure of how great the group is that C happily attends and enjoys it.
2017
I just wanted to say what an amazing relief it was to speak with you both today. To be in the presence of two people with such empathy and understanding for our situation was like a breath of fresh air. We now have hope that we can find the path that is right for my son and be able to have support along the way.
Company Director 2016:     I came away feeling completely inspired to offer a more ‘ASD friendly’ service, and for us to develop our work practices. The feedback from the team was excellent- we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
SI 2016: Our son was first referred to South West Autism for counselling because his mainstream school weren’t coping with his overwhelming anxiety and resulting behaviours. His school then ‘outsourced’ him to attend with South West Autism after saying he couldn’t go back there. He was upset, angry and felt rejected by his old school; this had a huge impact on his self esteem. Whilst he waited for a special school place, Lisa, Greg and the team did more for our son’s confidence and well-being than we could have hoped for. They offered him a varied and child centred education programme and helped him to understand his eventual diagnosis of autism. They offered us support and guidance time and time again when things were tough and no one else would help us. We cannot praise them enough and we will always be grateful for the service we had from them.

Our son said:
Once you get to know the staff, they are really nice and kind. They give you lots of opportunities to make your life better. I have done stuff like climbing and learning lots of life skills. I have cooked pizza there and even played computer games!
P 2016: Greg and Lisa have been working with our son, aged 10, for two years.  They have both understood (at a personal as well as a professional level)  the time, patience and consistency that have been needed over a sustained period to gain his full trust and confidence.

Most recently our son has been having fortnightly enabling sessions with Greg.  The gentle, supportive and non-judgemental approach that Greg takes, with a willingness to engage in any of our son’s interests, have meant that these sessions are something he really enjoys and hugely benefits from.
GP 2016:  Lisa, Greg and the team at South West Autism were able to offer us support at a very tricky time. The provision they are able to offer is second to none – highly recommended from a very grateful SENCo!

JD 2016: Greg has been coming to tutor my son for a little over a year now.  His kindness, patience, empathy and genuine understanding of ASD have been unmatched by any school, and have provided him with much, much more than just basic lessons.  He has given him confidence in himself, and an ability to trust other people.
MK 2015: Thank you for an excellent training course. The information and your delivery was outstanding. I have gained a better understanding and extended my knowledge of AS, which will benefit me as a parent and a care provider. 
S T (Parent) 2014: From my first telephone discussion with Greg, it was clear he understood the individuality of our autistic son's needs - this was such a relief and essential as a parent. He quickly and naturally built a positive, trusting worthy, profession relationship with our son and myself. This has allowed our son's independent travel training to progress more easily and successfully than we thought possible. The support provided by South West Autism Support Services has been essential, especially as the Devon County Council transport teams let us down just before our autistic son started college.
DCC Youth Enquiry Service Sept 2013: Professionals Training Feedback "Exceedingly insightful, I learned a lot". "I liked the personal details it made it real". "Lots of useful info - esp terminology". Very good, really nice to listen to an experienced trainer , rather than someone reading from a manual! "Fantastic" "Best training I've been on and I love Lisa!!"
South West Family Support Services 2013: Hi Lisa, just wanted to thank you for Tuesdays session in Ilfracombe. All the parents said you were very helpful and went away with their heads buzzing with ideas. For the mum and dad it is the beginning of their journey but they went into school very excited about the meeting. Thank you so much for your advice and lovely personality I think everyone went away feeling much happier. 
CP (Social Worker) 2013: Lisa is extremely knowledgeable regarding ASD and is up to date with the latest research and practice. This enabled her to build a trusting relationship with a young person, supporting him to access support from other professionals and bring about positive changes in his life.  Lisa was able to be his advocate in meetings and she was a huge support to the family. 
RB South West Careers Service 2013: I think what has been so great about what you have achieved is that through your understanding and expertise of ASD you have managed to successfully engage with S.... and her family where others have previously failed. As a result you have been able to identify the needs and met them accordingly. I just wish that we had known of your existence several years ago. I have already told my colleagues about your work and have recommended your service if they have a young person who needs support.
S M 2013: I am a Parent Support Adviser for the Totnes Learning Community and have been working with Lisa and Greg for eighteen months now, ever since I set up an ASD support group for parents. The impact that they have had on my ability to support parents has been invaluable. They provide a wealth of information, keep me up to date with all the latest developments and are extremely helpful if ever I have any enquirers. They are working on an individual basis with some of my families and are also providing a training program for parents which is very well received. I have had nothing but very positive feedback from parents regarding Lisa and Greg, with more than one mum calling Lisa her guardian angel. I always refer new parents to the Aspirations group that Lisa and Greg run so that the parents can avail of the opportunity to access them on a weekly basis, it is the first thing I recommend to new parents. South West Autism Support are a professionally run, extremely knowledgeable, very approachable enterprise and should be supported at all costs. 
THANK YOU from O (aged 11) 2013: Greg is great with me and like's playing Steve and Alan when we went Dawlish Warren on the go carts we went back to the car after 2 mins because of the rain when we go to Holden forest he is always there. werever we go he is funny ,a laugh , great with me and up for it.                  
MB 2013: We have only known Lisa and Greg for a short time but on the first occasion Greg took my son out, he came back absolutely buzzing (in a good way!) He was full of what he and Greg had done and was counting down the days to his next trip. Greg seems to be ‘in tune’ with F and understands him so well, my only regret is that we didn't meet them sooner!  We have had Enablers previously but have never experienced this positive and happy response before. I cannot recommend the service provided highly enough and hope to continue our relationship for some time to come.  
SB 2013: Lisa has been working with and helping our whole family for many months. Her knowledge and experience of ASD and the way in which she is able to impart that to others is amazing. Lisa has remained positive and offered encouragement when at times we have felt we were at rock bottom. She has been there when and where we've needed her with endless support and advice. As my daughter would say "Lisa gets it!" and that is so important. We would without hesitation recommend Lisa's services to other families. Thank you so much Lisa, we wouldn't be where we are today without you. 
I.B client (aged 17) 2013: Lisa has supported me with my problems and always been there when i have needed her, she listens to me and is able to cheer me up when i am feeling down, she has helped me so much with regaining my confidence, the work we do together makes me feel like there's someone who cares, she really understands me and my difficulties and she is the best worker i have ever had :) 
H and R B (Parents) 2012: Lisa has been providing support to our son  with homework and exam preparation for the last year.He has made huge progress both in his work and his confidence. He is about to start year 10 in September and we know that with Lisa's continued support he will be able to cope really well with the challenges that are ahead.  
A.G. (Parent) 2012: Lisa's knowledge of children on the Autistic Spectrum is outstanding, we have received both a caring and professional service and have seen many positive changes in our young son's behavior since her help began. Thank you Lisa! 
JM (Parent) 2012: Meeting you was amazing....you have given me fresh hope....thank you so much for bringing back my spark! 
R.G (Parent) 2011: Lisa isn't pretentious, and doesn't make you feel that she understands more than you do. She's empathetic & inspires hope, with the clear message that kids with problems often have great potential. You feel as though you are dealing with someone who has worn the same shoes as yourself. 
Dr T 2010: Thank you for all you have done- best wishes 
Dr P 2010: I have always been impressed by Mrs McCullagh's professionalism, her innate and intuitive understanding of the difficulties experienced by these children and their families and her sensitive and humane approach to working with them. 
AL (Headteacher) 2010: Lisa has made an outstanding contribution to the SEN department and has been recognized and appreciated by staff for her support and guidance.... She has excellent relationships with students who feel valued and supported by her. 
L.B (Health Visitor) 2010: I think you are doing a brilliant job. The families really appreciate your positive support and so do I!!! 
AM (Teacher) 2010: Thank you so much for your brilliant work and hope to see you in the not too distant future. 
CH (Parent) 2010: Lisa's drive and enthusiasm ...is what's needed by parents in order for us to feel supported and empowered to do what is best for our children. 
E.P (Parent) 2009: Unlike other support workers, Lisa has been there and come out the other end, showing me I can do it!! She will be a great asset to any family.
KMC (Specialist ASD Teacher) 2009: Still working your magic!!! 
BL (SENCO) 2008: Lisa's knowledge of ASD is exceptional ..... she demonstrates highly professional management skills, leading and aspiring staff.
 PB 2008: I have attended many ASD training courses in the past but yours has given me greater understanding than the others.
 J P 2008: Really enjoyed the ASD training- very informative, extremely useful and brilliantly delivered. 
J H (Tavistock College) 2008: Thank you for the superb ASD training. It was such a refreshing change to hear someone deliver training that actually meant something and was relevant.....It was so enlightening to hear that you have been at the coalface and as a parent of a ASD child, you are not someone who speaks from sitting from behind a desk!!             
L.H (Social Worker) 2007: "Lisa has a specialist knowledge of ASD which enables her to communicate effectively with the child and ascertain the views and wishes and feelings of the child. This i believe has been instrumental in enabling the child to develop".
 JD (CAMHS Social worker) 2006: "Mrs McCullagh has an impressive breadth of knowledge around autistic spectrum conditions. She demonstrates an understanding of the anxieties and frustrations experienced by her clients and the ability to talk through and support them through their difficulties"