Get involved

Get involved

Sometimes, talking to people who share similar experiences to yours means you’re more likely to feel understood and get the help you need. That’s why we’ve set up our peer education programme for parents, carers and personal assistants of autistic people.

Could you be a peer educator?

Are you a parent or carer of an autistic person? Would you like to help other families of autistic people in your local area? We’re looking for people who are interested in becoming peer educators and share their knowledge and experience with others. 

Contact your local hub to find out more

Why become a peer educator?

“As a service manager and a late diagnosed autistic woman, being a peer educator is very important to me. My hope is to help parents and carers to understand autism while showing that being autistic shouldn’t limit their loved ones to achieve their own potential. There is little support out there for autistic people and their support network after a diagnosis, so I wanted to pass on my own lived experience and working knowledge to help others."

"I wish this amazing service had been available for me when my autistic teenagers were much younger. But now as a Peer Educator, I am able to offer the guidance and help to families that I so desperately needed back then."

"It is humbling to see parent carers balance busy lives, making time to better understand how to meet the needs of those they care for. The relaxed sessions provide Carers, Personal Assistants and Peer Educators with a positive atmosphere enabling all participants to leave feeling supported, informed, and empowered."

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What is a peer educator?

Peer educators are recruited into the programme and are mainly parents and carers who are happy to share their knowledge and experience.

Hubs in regions across England offer guidance sessions for parents, carers and personal assistants of autistic people. These sessions are run by peer educators and may take place in a group events or a one-to-one setting.

Peer educators can be paid employees or volunteers and receive comprehensive training and support from their hubs.

 If you are interested in becoming a peer educator contact your hub to find out more.

How are peer educators trained and quality assured? 

All peer educators are required to complete initial training, developed by Autism Central, and receive ongoing support, supervision and refresher training. Hubs check that all training has been completed and responsible for reporting on progress to Autism Central.

Are peer educators autistic? 

Autism Central has been commissioned by NHS England to offer peer to peer support for families and carers of autistic people. As such, the peer educator roles are primarily filled by family members/carers of autistic people (this includes parents/carers who are autistic themselves) to enable parent to parent insight. However, autistic people who are not parent/carers who have come forward expressing an interest in providing peer support can also apply, particularly as this programme is spanning all ages, for families of adults as well as children. Reach out to your nearest hub to see what opportunities there are in your area.

How are peer educators chosen?

Parents and carers can apply to become a peer educator through one of the Autism Central hubs. Peer Educators are chosen following an interview process, DBS and other checks aligning with individual hubs recruitment requirements. Once recruited peer educators follow an induction and training programme which provides them with the necessary skills.

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