Frequently Asked Questions
How do I join SIGNAL?
If you meet our eligibility criteria, please fill in our online form or email us your details as requested on the form. Our office is currently closed due to covid-19, so please don’t post anything.
How much does SIGNAL cost?
Our normal family membership is £20 per family per year.
For families on a lower income, the fee is £5 per year.
Donations are always welcome though! To donate, please go to our local giving page:
I don’t live in Lewisham - can I still join?
Our remit is limited to the borough of Lewisham and staying local is one of the advantages of SIGNAL.
You can join SIGNAL if you live in the borough of Lewisham, or have a child attending a school in the borough, or are under the care of Kaleidoscope.
My child doesn’t have an autism diagnosis – can I still join?
SIGNAL is an autism-specific group but we aim to be as inclusive as possible, so if your child is awaiting an autism assessment or diagnosis, please get in touch:
How do I join the Facebook group?
In order to join our private Facebook group you need to be a SIGNAL member, so please follow the instructions for joining. Once you are a member you can join the Facebook group by visiting the SIGNAL Family Support group and clicking the ‘Join’ button. Please let us know if your Facebook name is different to the name on your membership form.
I want to join your trampolining, swimming classes or other activities – what should I do?
To take part in our activities and events you need to join as a member. After that you will automatically receive all the information about our events and so on. The information will also be posted in the Facebook group.
For specific details of trampolining and swimming classes, please contact our Activities Co-ordinator, Charmaine Perry:
I have a friend/relative who wants to join – what should they do?
If they meet our eligibility criteria, please ask them to send a form or email our Manager for more information (see Contact Us).
I have emailed you and not got a reply – what should I do?
We do our best to reply to all emails as quickly as possible but please bear in mind that our Manager only works part-time. It is also possible that your email has gone into our spam folder, although we check it regularly. Please email again and we will get back to you.
I am the carer for an autistic young person – can I join SIGNAL?
Yes, we welcome families of all kinds, whether you are a parent or grandparent or other carer (eg foster carer).
I am an autistic adult – can I join SIGNAL?
Our remit is for families with children and young people on the autism spectrum, up to the age of 25 at the time of joining. Many of our parent members are also on the spectrum, but we are not a support group for autistic adults.
My child is over 25 – can I join SIGNAL?
Our remit is for families with children and young people on the autism spectrum, up to the age of 25 at the time of joining.
Which school should I choose?
Unfortunately, we are not able to advise on individual schools. However, our members have a lot of experience and it is a subject regularly discussed in our Facebook group:
How do I get an EHCP? Can you help me write it?
Unfortunately, we are not able to advise on individual EHCPs. However, our members have a lot of experience and it is a subject regularly discussed in our Facebook group.
What is CLASH?
CLASH stands for Campaign in Lewisham for Autism Spectrum Housing and is a group started by SIGNAL members. They have been successful in getting supported housing built in Forest Hill. For more information, see:
Where can I read the SIGNAL Data Protection policy?
There is a link to our Data Protection policy in PDF format in the footer of this website. It can also be viewed here:
