About us
Founded in 1980 by a group of parents who came together to establish Thornhill Park School in Sunderland, the North East Autism Society grew out of a desire to provide a better standard of education for autistic children. Having remortgaged their homes to purchase the building, our founders were dedicated to helping autistic young people fulfil their potential - and that commitment remains at the heart of everything we do.
Recognised for our innovation and excellence, everything we do stems from an unswerving belief in providing bespoke, person-centred support.
It’s at the heart of who we are to recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of every human being, and to understand that no two people, within an understanding of neurodiversity, will have the same needs or wants.
Through the work of our Autism and Neurodiversity Think Tank we remain committed to listening to and being informed by the very people we exist to serve.
This passion for innovation, personalisation and a commitment to empowering those who work for us and for those we work alongside, has allowed us to add to and adapt our services year on year, keeping us right at the fore of autism-specific service provision in the UK.