we are now full until september 2024

EMPOWER, INSPIRE, Educate

we are opening a small hub near frome, Somerset

For Neurodivergent people
by Neurodivergent people

Gecko Community is a registered Charity (1195860) providing innovative teaching, therapeutic projects and mentoring.

We are a Neurodivergent led Charity and we are uniquely skilled in supporting neurodivergent young people.

Our Mentors and Teachers are highly skilled and experienced. We understand our young people from a neurodivergent perspective as most of us are Autistic, ADHD, PDA and/or dyslexic.

We have expertise in:

Pathological Demand Avoidance/Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA)
Monotropic thinking styles
Alexithymia
Autistic Masking
Autistic Burnout
Double Empathy Theory
Trauma/cPTSD

We support young people aged between 5 -25 who are:

Autistic
ADHD
experiencing anxiety and mental ill health
at risk from exclusion or have self-excluded from formal education
Experiencing bullying and trauma

Students can be with us because they’re out of school, while they wait for a placement or as part of their EOTAS package. We support neurodivergent young people for as long as they need.

Parent

My 15 year old daughter has been having English project sessions and mentor sessions with Gecko Community for the last five months. She is autistic and struggles with severe anxiety. She had reached burnout and could no longer access mainstream school due to school based trauma. Gecko has really helped our daughter to gently re-engage with education at her own pace and on her own terms. Their young person led therapeutic techniques have really helped and my daughter looks forward to her Gecko sessions.

Parent

“My daughter loves working with Gecko, it has given her confidence back in learning.

The tutor always listens and adjusts the way of working to suit her needs. Gecko really understands the needs of children and, most importantly, they listen to the child”.

Parent

My child is struggling with autistic burnout, manifesting in depression and deep social anxiety and has been out of education for the last two years. I was struggling to find help for her despite being under the care of Camhs. I found out about Gecko through an autistic led training course.

Parent

Gecko has lit a fire under my child with regard to English! An incredible transformation from a reluctant student of English to one who is now thinking of doing it at A-level. Gecko “get it”. They get the anxiety and understand the traumatic experiences that my child has sadly undergone in mainstream school.

We were successful with a grant from the CLA Charitable Trust. The Trust is dedicated to helping those who are disabled or disadvantaged to visit and participate in learning experiences about the countryside. We would like to say a big thank you!