Company dedicated to helping learners with additional needs makes Wellingborough its UK base

A community interest company dedicated to helping learners with additional needs achieve positive outcomes is opening a new national hub in Wellingborough.

ADHD WISE UK will offer a range of expert services and support for children and adults with an extensive range of conditions including ADHD, autism, and dyslexia from its new base in Silver Street.

The brainchild of former special needs teacher, Jannine Perryman-Harris, the community interest company was launched following her collaboration with fellow teacher Amanda Porter in 2019.

Jannine said: “Coming from a specialist teacher background has allowed us to create a team of experts, coaches and counsellors all dedicated to bringing about positive outcomes for young people and adults with neurodiverse conditions as well as skill-building programmes for parents and carers.

“To date we have been incredibly successful in running courses for ADHD adults and autistic adults.

"We’ve also had fantastic results in the courses we have put together for teenagers with ADHD, as well as skill-building programmes for parents and carers.

“We have a very inclusive environment focusing on counselling, coaching and up-skilling.”

Hopeful of a Spring opening, Jannine and her team will move into the new premises as soon as lockdown restrictions allow, but until then work will continue remotely.

She added: “We will be offering an array of services, events and courses that people can book onto.

"We receive no central funding and nationally there are only four local authorities that fund our services to support their constituents.

"Unfortunately, Northamptonshire is not currently one of them but we hope to change that.

“We are here to earn a living not a killing.

"Our prices reflect this and options are available to help everyone who needs our support.”

Formally a teacher at Billing Brook School in Northampton, Jannine’s reputation as an expert in the field of learning difficulties grew.

She explained: “As my reputation grew so did the invites to get out there and present what I knew.

"I was delivering teacher training and in doing so the awareness of autism and ADHD grew.

“It’s all about identifying the challenge and helping to mitigate it. Quite often neurodiverse conditions are tagged with negative connotations.

"We’re here as experts to turn that perception around and promote the positive outcomes.

“We can help those who struggle to communicate verbally as well as parents who can use their new understanding to bring about a positive change.

“Teenagers with additional needs are at the highest risk of exclusions from school as well as there being a disproportionally high number of looked after children with special needs.

“Our team can go into schools to assess the needs of young people and indicate the necessary support on offer to help level the playing field.

“Take me for example, my parents didn’t have a clue what to do with me and at 14-years-old I ended up in care. I only got diagnosed with ADHD at 41.

“I left school with my highest grade as an E in English, I’m now studying for my third master’s degree.

"If I can do anything to prevent one child from having to go through what I did then I will have achieved a life ambition.”

To find out more information about ADHD WISE UK click here or email [email protected] or call 01933 222940.

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