About me

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Kim Sharpe and I am the mother of two amazing young adults. Both of them give me a great deal of inspiration and strength, both for different reasons.

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My son, the younger of the two is Autistic, and has faced many

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He got his diagnosis at the age of 13 after a two and a half year long battle with all the services involved in this process. Whilst waiting for his diagnosis mainstream education became increasingly more difficult and as a result he lost nearly a full year of education, not being able to attend school.

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We eventually got him a place at a lovely school with an Autism specific unit where he remained until he was 18, then he went on to college for a further five years, with varying degrees of success, or not in some cases. But kept on persevering.

 

When moving from childhood services (CAMHS) to adult services he was completely lost in the system, which is not unusual! and left him without any support other than his family. At the age of 20 he was eventually assigned a social worker, who after some time working with him decided, and I quote " that he is so broken that can't be fixed and will never function in the real world, get a job, and if he ever left home that it would be into 24 hour supported living"

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Around the same time Social Services discounted him we started working with an Autism coach, we were all at the end of our tethers and this was a last chance for him. As it turned out this amazing lady (Ruth Howard) completely turned our lives about, using positive psychology techniques and a life coaching approach to get him where he is today. 

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Now at the age of 24 he lives in his own privately rented flat, and has a job working at our local leisure facility.

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As a result the whole family has an enhanced life with less stress, better well being and a knowledge that a diagnosis of Autism is something to be embraced and NOT a life sentence as we were led to believe.

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This is why I have trained as an Autism Coach. I am a qualified life coach and have gained the skills needed ( positive psychology techniques )to be Autism specific.

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Ruth Howard has been my mentor and continues to give support in all my future endeavors.

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