Empower-Autism CIC is a not-for-profit social enterprise providing support across the UK and beyond.

Our aim is to empower parents and carers to understand themselves and their autistic child and live full and meaningful lives.

The Lancet

The Lancet

Sage Journals

Sage Journals

Empower-Autism has been developed by researchers at the University of Manchester and clinicians at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and evaluated in a large clinical trial. This showed that parents/carers really value the programme and experienced significant benefits that lasted over the course of a year. This work is published in the academic journals: The Lancet and Sage Journals which can be read by clicking the links opposite.

  • “We feel a bit less alone… Because of that we've felt a bit more relaxed really about autism and our son. Maybe just almost a bit more accepting of it”.

    – Parent/Carer

  • “I just got a sense that parents were a bit more aware of their own kind of values, and therefore what they wanted out of life.

    – Professional

  • “It's really refreshing just to chat to other parents who knew exactly what you were talking about. And everyone had their own ways of dealing with things.”

    – Parent/Carer

  • “There was definitely a sense that parents were a bit more aware of their feelings and allowing them.”

    – Professional

  • “It’s a good mental well-being toolkit”

    – Parent/Carer

  • “Because of the ACT element, there’s this sense of offering people things that they can take and use as they choose.”

    – Professional

  • “I’ve learned to see the world how my son sees it.”

    – Parent/Carer

  • “It feels very empowering for the parents, it feels like that it’s not about them being rescued.”

    – Professional

  • “My son is minimally verbal, but I’ve learnt that there’s so much more going on in there – he’s more able than I think.”

    – Parent/Carer

  • “My sense was that people were experiencing for the first time the realisation that they’re not on their own.”

    – Professional

  • “Thank you SO much, it's been really worthwhile, and I would highly recommend it to any other parent with an autistic child... thank you.”

    – Parent/Carer

  • “I feel a huge weight has been lifted, knowing that I’m not alone.”

    – Parent/Carer