ICON FAACT Group

In 2022, ICON organised a series of housing forums in the north east inner city. Local authority tenants, private rented & housing body tenants and home owners came together to discuss the challenges around the housing issue in the area. One of the key emerging themes was housing and autism and the lack of support for parents, a lack of information about schools, services, recreational spaces, after-school activities, and the absence of sensory activities and dedicated spaces for young people with autism and additional needs. This led to the formation of the Women’s Housing Autism and Additional Needs Awareness Training Together (WHAATT) Group.

In 2023 in order to foster inclusivity, the group adjusted the name to ICON F.A.A.C.T. (Families of Autistic and Additional Needs Children Together) Group. Presently, the group consists of parents and guardians of children with autism and additional needs. They meet every week to address relevant parental challenges encountered in their daily lives. This platform is essential in facilitating the exchange of personal experiences and information among parents and guardians to help them in their everyday lives with their children with autism and/or additional needs. They host two youth clubs per week, targeting a younger and older cohort and organise a range of activities to meet the needs of both parents/ carers and the children.