Autist guides-different support available for UK

Am writing a few basic guides,designed to be autism/as/pddnos friendly.
This guide is about the support services am know of [and am a service user of-apart from creative support].


A common thing on ASD forums written by UK users is 'theres no support for autistics' or those who automatically tell undiagnosed adults not to bother getting diagnosed because there's no help at the end.

This is not true,do not believe it,there is a lot of help out there,but it isn't automatically given,a care assessment is needed first.


First,am recommend getting a social worker,they give access to so many things and fight to get the things that need,some services will not help if do not have a social worker because of funding needed.

Aspies or Autists who do not have what the SS call 'personal care needs' may struggle with this,in the learning disability team-most councils have strict IQ and functioning related criteria.
Get the council contacted and ask for a community care assessment,they use this to judge whether are in enough need for help or not.

Autists who are refused a social worker within the learning disabilities team can try the mental health team if they have a mental health condition as well as their ASD.
The assessment must be done by someone who understands the main disability/ies that have got.

Within the learning disabilities team,if are found to need them,they will give self a speech therapist,pysch.,occupational therapist,behavioral specialist,CPN etc.
Am find them much more understanding under the LD team rather than through the way everyone else gets them.

One main organisation that helps Autists on all functioning levels in the UK is The National Autistic Society.
They have many different forms of support,including befriending,outreach support-full support in own home or residential care depending on care assessment,NAS residential homes,NAS day centres,NAS social clubs,NAS assessment centres and schools,their own job service,advocacy etc.
There is a lot of support offered,but a lot of it requires funding,if are unable to get help from social services and want to use an NAS service that needs funding,speak to them about it as they may offer ways around it or get the funding on behalf of self.

Autists can also get support from Autism Initiatives and Mencap.
Mencap have a lot of different types of support like NAS-but they are not autism specialised,they have day centres with great adult swings that are impossible to fall off/other garden stuff, and for those that like loud music-things like discos.
Autism Initiatives is the same sort of organisation- specialised for Autists but,it's newer,and is limited to certain parts of the country for most of their types of support.

An organisation who have group homes and outreach support,am can think of that helps Autists would be Creative Support.
They are more into mental illness,than developmental disabilities,but sister used to work for them in their MH projects and said they have quite a few homes just for people with learning difficulties and/or ASDs.
Those without a social worker can apply for a place,but the company gets involved with them on behalf of the client.
This is something some Autists who haven't been able to get a social worker may want to try.