FAQ’s

To ensure we reach those most in need Ashley’s House A Life Skills Centre takes referrals from educational professionals and parents

Please email us or ask someone involved in your child’s care (school senco, local authority SEN, social worker etc) to email: info@ashleyshouse.co.uk

To make a referral, please complete and return the Ashley’s House referral form. We operate Egress Switch for added confidentiality. Ashley’s House has only a small number of weekly spaces; should all these be full, we operate a waiting list. Places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Along with a parent/carer and member of the referral agency (if appropriate), the young person attends a referral session to meet their key worker, see round the site and ensure we can meet their needs. This generally lasts around an hour and the decision on whether to attend always rests with the young person themselves.

At Ashley’s House, we don’t see autism as something to be “fixed.” We see your daughter as whole, valuable, and wonderfully unique, just as she is. Neurodiversity affirming practice means we adapt to her strengths, her interests, her ways of seeing the world. It’s about creating a safe, nurturing space where she doesn’t have to hide or pretend, but can feel proud of who she is.

Because autistic girls are so often overlooked. Many mask their struggles in school, working twice as hard just to “fit in” and come home exhausted, anxious, and feeling like no one really understands them.

Ashley’s House was created to change that. Here, girls don’t have to mask. They are seen, accepted, and celebrated. It’s a space where they can breathe, belong, and grow into the strong young women they’re meant to be.

Life skills aren’t just part of what we do they are what we do. We know your hopes for your daughter go beyond lessons and exams. You want her to feel confident in everyday life. That’s why our days are filled with real, practical experiences: cooking a meal she can be proud of, learning to manage money, finding joy in friendships, or practising how to care for herself.

These skills are the heartbeat of Ashley’s House. They give our girls dignity, independence, and the belief that they can step into adulthood with strength. For us, life skills aren’t “extras” they are the foundation of your daughter’s future.

We know that thinking about “what’s next” can feel daunting for parents. That’s why we begin preparing early. From around age 16, we work with you and your daughter to plan her next steps whether that’s further education, vocational training, supported work, or community opportunities.

But beyond the paperwork and planning, our goal is simple in that when your daughter leaves Ashley’s House we want her to walk out the door with confidence in who she is, the skills to navigate daily life, and the hope that her future is bright.

Ashley’s House is more than a school it’s a community where your daughter can be herself, and where you, as her family, are supported too.