Mia's Whitegates Story: Finding her happy place

Mia’s mum wanted to go away with friends for a few nights.

Mia is non-verbal and requires specialist support, and she needed to make sure that Mia could be settled before making plans.

Mia is an only child and has a special relationship with her mum, and has difficulty feeling confident around others.

Whitegates is not local to home, but as her mum tells it:

“When friends ask me why I travel so far to drop Mia off at Whitegates, I simply say ‘wouldn’t you if your only child’s happy place is there?’”

Mia’s mum describes how the staff at Whitegates are like an extended family for Mia, and how she is “literally pushed out the door” when they arrive at the service.

“It’s a gesture that every parent of a non-verbal child prays for and honestly if anything happened to me, Whitegates would be the only place my daughter would settle. Thank you for giving her a voice.”

Whitegates is our respite service, which offers specialist support to autistic service users, whilst also providing their families and carers with the chance to take a break from their caring role for a few days or a few weeks.

Want to make a referral? You can call us on 01909 776932 or send us an email at enquiries@aem.org.uk.