Friendships have a powerful, positive impact on our quality of life, increase our self-esteem and play a vital role in mental health and wellbeing. For people with high-functioning autism opportunities to make friends can be limited, leading to a sense of isolation and loneliness.
Path Foundation focuses on creating as many opportunities as possible for its members aged 16+ with high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and other hidden disabilities to meet, socialise, develop life skills, grow as individuals and, most importantly, to have fun.
The positive impact of friendship and social inclusion on our members is obvious and has led to us increasing the number of social events, life skills workshops and supporting services we offer.
The Charity was born out of the determination of our founder, Jane Atkinson, that the world of friendships and companionship would not be closed to her high-functioning autistic son, George. Having failed to find any suitable social clubs in the Hampshire and Dorset area, she launched Positive Path Foundation.
PPF continues to grow and evolve. In response to feedback on the needs of our members and their families, a range of additional services are now available:
- Therapy & Mentoring
- Family Therapy and Support
- Play Therapy for children aged 3+
We also aim to change the shocking statistic that only 4.8% of adults with ASC gain full-time employment. In 2023, PPF and The Minstead Trust formally partnered to roll out our Employability Scheme. This helps members find paid jobs in Hampshire and BCP areas and provides long-term support for them.