Community Mentor - Find a helping hand

Hi everyone, I wanted to start this new discussion to let you all know that we have a new way of helping our members.

In case you hadn't noticed it along the left-hand side of your screen, we now have a Find a mentor page which we hope that new members, or people thinking of joining us, will see. We also hope that people who have been members for a while, but haven't quite felt like jumping into the conversations, will feel that they too can ask to work with a Community Mentor.

I've spoken to a few of our members who would have really appreciated something like this when they first joined. It's a nice way of pairing up and 'learning the ropes'.

Sometimes the process of registering can be a little intimidating, especially for people who haven't used an online community before. There are a lot of funny words around here like "discusion forum" and "post", and it's not always so straightforward for all of us to grasp these ideas. But of course once those initial hurdles are over, the benefits of being part of an online community are numerous!

Please read more on the Find a mentor page if you like - and if you're looking for a mentor, or would like to become a mentor, then see below!

It’s always nice to have a friend to start off with. And we have some new friends waiting for you!

If you’d like to have a helping hand to get you through those first steps of joining the Talk about Autism community, we would like to connect you with one of our Community Mentors.

There are two ways to be connected with someone who can help you. You can either send me an email at mike@talkaboutautism.org.uk or if you're already a member, simply leave a comment below to express your interest (though you are welcome to email me privately).

Once we hear from you, you will be partnered with one of our members who has been around a while. If there's someone who you specifically would like to work with, please feel welcome to say so! Together you chat about any aspects of the community which may be confusing to you. For example, they can explain how the discussion forum works and how you can post a question, they can look over your first post and help you with the wording, or give you advice on the best ways of asking for information – and anything else which you may need a hand with.

Our Community Mentors:

Damian - Damian is on the spectrum, and has a child who is on the spectrum. You can catch up a bit on him by visiting his Member Q&A or you can also visit his Ask Damian discussion.

Snowdrop (Tracy) -Tracy is in Kent, and she is a parent of a child with autism.

Leanne - Based in the Herefordshire area, Leanne is a parent of a child with autism. Read more about Leanne in her Member Q&A.

Josie - Josie is in Scotlond and is a parent of a child with autism.

NickyB - Nicky is also a parent of a child with autism, and you can learn more about her in her Member Q&A.

bumblebee (Claire) - Claire is also in the Kent area, and is a parent of a child with autism. 

We are currently recruiting for Community Mentors!

To become a mentor, all you have to do is feel comfortable enough with the community to be able to help others. Simple as that! You can be a new member, or one of our older members - doesn't matter!

Please comment below if you are interested in becoming a Community Mentor!