APPEER COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY
Nominee Profile
Location: Woking
Autistic girls remain significantly under-identified and under-supported, a disparity that directly contributes to rising school absence and increasing numbers of young people out of education. Historically, both education systems and clinical frameworks have been shaped around male presentations of autism, leaving many girls unseen.
In Surrey alone, of the estimated 400–500 autistic young people currently out of school, a substantial proportion are likely to be girls who are either diagnosed late or not diagnosed at all. This gap has profound consequences for their education, wellbeing, and future opportunities.
APPEER CIC exists to address this inequity.
Each year, we provide over 1,500 Alternative Provision (AP) placements, offering a different kind of learning environment—one that is flexible, responsive, and grounded in lived experience. Our work is driven by a commitment to long-term, systemic change and a belief that autistic girls and young women deserve to be understood, supported, and empowered.
Our provision is specifically designed for autistic girls and young women who face barriers to attending mainstream school. These barriers often include sensory sensitivities, social and communication differences, emotional overwhelm, and environmental stressors. Many of the young people we support experience masking, social anxiety, and chronic exhaustion—challenges that are frequently misunderstood or overlooked.
APPEER provides a safe, structured, and autism-affirming environment where each individual receives personalised support tailored to their needs. Through specialist understanding of the female presentation of autism, sensory-aware spaces, predictable routines, and guided peer engagement, we create conditions where young people can thrive.
Our approach enables participants to build confidence, develop self-regulation and communication skills, and form meaningful, authentic social connections. In doing so, we support not just re-engagement with education, but positive, sustainable life outcomes.
APPEER is not just an alternative—it is a necessary evolution in how we support autistic girls and young women.
In Surrey alone, of the estimated 400–500 autistic young people currently out of school, a substantial proportion are likely to be girls who are either diagnosed late or not diagnosed at all. This gap has profound consequences for their education, wellbeing, and future opportunities.
APPEER CIC exists to address this inequity.
Each year, we provide over 1,500 Alternative Provision (AP) placements, offering a different kind of learning environment—one that is flexible, responsive, and grounded in lived experience. Our work is driven by a commitment to long-term, systemic change and a belief that autistic girls and young women deserve to be understood, supported, and empowered.
Our provision is specifically designed for autistic girls and young women who face barriers to attending mainstream school. These barriers often include sensory sensitivities, social and communication differences, emotional overwhelm, and environmental stressors. Many of the young people we support experience masking, social anxiety, and chronic exhaustion—challenges that are frequently misunderstood or overlooked.
APPEER provides a safe, structured, and autism-affirming environment where each individual receives personalised support tailored to their needs. Through specialist understanding of the female presentation of autism, sensory-aware spaces, predictable routines, and guided peer engagement, we create conditions where young people can thrive.
Our approach enables participants to build confidence, develop self-regulation and communication skills, and form meaningful, authentic social connections. In doing so, we support not just re-engagement with education, but positive, sustainable life outcomes.
APPEER is not just an alternative—it is a necessary evolution in how we support autistic girls and young women.