About Us

Autism Plus was formed in 1986 by a group of passionate parents. Since then, we have supported thousands of people on their journeys to more independence.

Thorne House 1986

We support adults and young people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and complex needs

We were created by a group of parents in 1986 who were looking for the very best support for their children who were about to leave a specialist school. Once they reached 17, they found there was little or no support. Coming together they established Autism Plus in the market town of Thorne, near Doncaster to provide person centred support in residential living, and learning for adults and young people with autism and learning disabilities.

The belief set by our founding parents, to empower more people to live independent, fulfilling lives remains our focus today.

Today, as a leading Yorkshire charity we are empowering more people every day to achieve more than they had dared to dream was possible.

We employ over 450 people across the north of England in care support services, employment support and social enterprise businesses.

Choice

Choice is central to our vision. You and I can choose where and how we live, what we eat, wear and do. We believe that everyone, no matter what barriers they are facing, should have those same choices and the chance to realise their full potential.

Our Values

We are passionate about supporting people to grow and develop independence. We live this passion through our mission, vision and Autism Plus philosophy which are at the heart of everything we do. Download our values.


The meaning of 'Plus'

We changed our name to Autism Plus in 2006 in recognition of the fact that over 70% of autistic people have co-occurring conditions and disabilities. Recognising the impact of neurodiversity is critical to getting the right support system in place.

The ‘Plus’ also relates to the range of additional intervention and support provided beyond our core care support:

We have a dedicated in house Occupational Therapist, a Positive Behaviour Support Lead, Clinical Lead, Registered Nurse and access to a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) as well as a range of social enterprise businesses linked closely to our care services adding more value and more options for the people we support. 

"They look after my daughter amazingly, it’s not just a job to her carers they really do care."

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