Positive Path Foundation - Friendships for adults with both learning difficulties and physical challenges

Friendship and Socialising
for adults with learning and physical challenges

Positive Path Foundation is a charity set up to support the development of friendship, social skills, independence and work opportunities for high functioning individuals with both learning difficulties and physical challenges.
We also offer therapy, mentoring, sibling support, play therapy and time out to assist the entire family living with special needs. Support and guidance is also offered to parents of children upon diagnosis, assisting parents navigate their next steps for their child. We can offer support in the practicalities, therapies and coping strategies.

Positive Path Foundations operates broadly between Eastleigh in Hampshire and Poole in Dorset.

Why is Positive Path Foundation different?
Our focus is on high functioning individuals with learning/physical difficulties that are overlooked by the system. Provision for the profoundly disabled appears much more widely available but there is limited provision for high functioning children and adults. Parents are regularly ignored when seeking support and many have even heard the term ‘not disabled enough’ to qualify!
High functioning individuals appear very able on the surface but struggle with social interaction, making/keeping friendships, emotions, low self esteem, anxiety, and depression which can spiral into mental health issues.
We are so proud to receive testimonials from parents telling us we have changed their child’s life by giving them the opportunity to socialise, make friends and gain essential life skills in a non-judgemental and safe environment.

SPONSORED WALK – A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED US! Also thank you to the Balmer Lawn Hotel for hosting and promoting our walk. It was a wonderful day with lovely people all coming together to raise money for our much needed charity. We haven’t collected all the sponsorship money yet but when we do we will let you know how well we did. Hopefully see you all at our performance of Aladdin in October!

WIMBOURNE ACTIVITY DAY UPDATE – Our first activity day for Dorset Council was a success, it brought approx 30 special people together for fun and friendship. We have good news for those parents that asked about a fun day for the younger children,we spoke to Dorset Council and they are looking at funding another day around Christmas time. Keep checking in for further details!

Where it all began…

The Founder of Positive Path Foundation, Jane Atkinson decided to set up a charity herself to benefit her son George and many others like him, this was following years of struggle trying to find suitable disability social groups for her son to join.

The Foundation originally started organising social events that enabled their members to meet new people, socialise, enjoy being out in the community and gain new friendship skills.

We have now grown to offer:

Therapy & Mentoring for the whole family

Special Needs Adult Support for over 16’s

PPF Extra for 11 – 15yr olds

Bespoke Sibling Days Out & Support

Play therapy from age 3+

Time Out for over 16’s

For full information take a look under our Family Support section or email Jane@positivepathfoundation.org

Jane’s Background

Jane developed her own play therapy 22 years ago to assist her then non-verbal classically autistic son. George went from severe autism with no play or social skills, eating issues and ritualistic behaviour to now a high functioning 24 year old man who is currently studying childcare, working in a pre-school, driving his own car and socialising with friends he has made through Positive Path Foundation. Positive Path Play Therapy has worked with children all over the country, bringing great gains for families living with autism and is now operating within the same scope as Positive Path Foundation.