Karen Irvani,
Founder/Principal,
Parents Talking Asperger’s

Karen set up Parent’s Talking Asperger’s (PTA) in February 2012 because her son, Reza, had never met another child like him, and she and her husband Shahram (Baba), their daughter Soraya, had never met other parents/siblings like them. It was a lonely, confusing and desolate life and one that Karen wants to avoid other parents from living.

Starting life as a Facebook page, today, PTA is a voluntary group that supports parents mainly in Oxfordshire (also nationally via Facebook) online, in person and over the phone, with a virtual community of almost 1000 people; who either live directly with Asperger’s Syndrome, or know someone who does. PTA receives family referrals from the National Autistic Society, other autism charities and Special Educational Needs (SEN) professionals from local schools. PTA’s main aim is to create a support forum enabling parents to share the highs and lows of living a life that’s wired rather differently to the perceived Neuro-Typical “norm”: a life with Asperger’s Syndrome. Its secondary aim is to seek the help of the Autism and educational community to promote awareness and positive life change for young ‘Aspergian’ people, their siblings and their parents.

PTA’s Fun Nights enable children/young people with Asperger’s Syndrome – both diagnosed and undiagnosed – and their parents and siblings to form friendships which change their lives for the better.

Karen runs PTA in her spare time and by day, is a seasoned Marketing and Public Relations professional (www.pdqpartnership.com). She is also a committed Christian and her church, The Baptist Church Middleton Cheney, is PTA’s HQ where many church members willingly give their time and love to support PTA.