Information, Advice and Support - IAS Service for Windsor and Maidenhead

11/08/2026

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As we head into the summer holidays, we know this time of year can bring a mixture of emotions for families. While the break offers opportunities for fun, relaxation and making memories together, it can also bring changes to routines, increased demands on parents and carers, and uncertainty for children who thrive on predictability.

Whether you're planning days out, staying close to home, or simply taking each day as it comes, we hope you can find moments to enjoy together. We also recognise that supporting a child with additional needs during the long summer break can sometimes feel overwhelming, and we want to remind you that you're not alone.

To support you over the holidays, we've attached our Summer Holiday Survival Guide – Strategies for a Calm, Connected and Enjoyable Summer. It contains practical, easy-to-use strategies to help children feel safe, regulated and connected throughout the break, including:

• Keeping simple daily routines.
• Using visual schedules.
• Balancing busy activities with opportunities to rest and recharge.
• Supporting sensory needs.
• Preparing for outings.
• Creating calm spaces at home.
• Remembering that behaviour is communication.

We hope you find these ideas helpful and that they support your family in creating a summer that feels calm, connected and enjoyable.

10/08/2026

GEMS Virtual Coffee Morning!
GEMS will be joined by Creative Courage Coaching to explore how we can help children develop confidence, resilience, and self-belief.

📅 Date: Tuesday 29 September
🕛 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
💻 Location: Online via Teams
🎟️ Spaces: Limited to 25 families

Creative Courage Coaching is passionate about helping children build unshakeable confidence, resilience, and self-belief for life. This coffee morning is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about their approach, hear practical ideas that can support your child, and ask any questions you may have in a relaxed and informal setting.

Whether your child has a diagnosis of autism or ADHD, is currently on the assessment pathway, or is suspected to be neurodivergent, you are very welcome to attend.

This session is available to families who:
• Live in East Berkshire, or
• Are registered with a GP in East Berkshire,
• And have a child who is autistic or has ADHD (diagnosed, on the pathway, or suspected).

If you would like to book a place, simply reply to this email or contact us at [email protected] with the following information.

Your Full Name:
Your email address:
Local authority: Slough/RBWM/Bracknell
Childs condition: Autism/ADHD/BOTH
Childs pathway: suspected/waiting assessment/diagnosed.

As spaces are limited to 25 attendees, we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

07/08/2026

04/08/2026

Sharing from the brilliant Down's Syndrome Association page: People communicate through their behaviour and it is important to give everyone ways to let others know what they want/need/like/dislike.
This resource contains visual supports that can be cut out and used to help with communication.

https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-Listen-To-Me-Series.-Childhood-Communication-Easy-Read-1.pdf

03/08/2026

Places kids eat free (or for £1) in the Summer holiday@moneysavingcentral

03/08/2026

The Department for Education has published new guidance on inclusion bases within mainstream settings for children and young people with additional needs.

The I.P.S.E.A legal team is currently reviewing the guidance, and will update their website and resources as necessary in due course.

In the meantime, you can find the new guidance online:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3bd3a74c7605ab56723924/Inclusion_bases_in_schools_.pdf

02/08/2026

The Thames Valley Adventure Playground is holding a drop-in Family Fun Day on Saturday, August, from 11am to 3pm, with lots of activities available.
Tickets cost £3 per person and there is no need to book in advance.
The specialist SEND playground is on the A4 Bath Road, in Taplow, just east of Maidenhead, just east of the railway bridge over the road.
- See the flyer for more details.
If you have any questions, email [email protected] or call 01628 628599

01/08/2026

Shared from Autism Berkshire The Wellcome Collection in London has a free autism-friendly relaxed opening of its current exhibition The Coming of Age on Wednesday, August 12, from 2pm to 6pm.
The exhibition explores experiences and perceptions of ageing, from adolescence to later life, and asks how societies can adapt for us all to age better.
- Click the link for more details and to book https://wellcomecollection.org/events/the-coming-of-age-relaxed-openings

The Wellcome Collection is a museum and library focusing on health. It is in Euston Road, next to the Euston Square London Underground station.
A visual story and a sensory map for visitors can be downloaded from its website.