The Fred Foundation is built on the principle of allowing children with autism to reach their potential. Too many autistic children are being denied the one thing that would make the most profound difference to their lives and to the lives of their families an individual specialised education programme. The Foundation was therefore set up to help fund education programmes for children with autism.

Funding is provided by the Fred Foundation to cover the cost of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) which requires one to one teaching and is considered one of the most useful tools in unlocking the minds of autistic children and helping combat OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) which is so crippling to normal behaviours. Families often get turned down funding support from the Local Education Authority (LEA) to enable their autistic child to receive ABA therapy as it is very expensive and is not accredited by the government despite its amazing results. Families are offered the chance to appeal the decision and the Fred Foundation was set up to help fund an ABA program until an appeal could be heard. Of the families who have received support from the Fred Foundation, 100% have gone on to win their case and receive financial support from the LEA. It is vital that it is started as young as possible, so the cost of this therapy often leaves families in financial crisis. Fred Foundation matched the ALMT’s grant to fund 15 family’s ABA programmes at a cost of £2,000 per family.