Published on 12, July, 2020
I am so upset,
I am in a terrible situation, I live in a flat and next door are drug sellers (and users) they have had knives in the close, they have thrown a metal crutch out of the window and they are always loitering in the close.
I have called police on lots of occasions: the neighbours are arrested and kept in jail for up to a week or so and then are let free. I have complained over five years to the housing, I cant get out my flat much due to them as they are intimidating and horrible. Sometimes there are lots of men in the close. my housing wont help.
I attended a NAS meeting near me once, and could not get to other meetings due to the neighbours behaviours. There is a housing I could get if I proved that I attended support NAS meetings by getting a letter from NAS but it is a catch 22 NAS will not give me the letter unless I attend more meetings.
I told the lady at nas that i had been abused once by a man years ago and that I cant go private rent as I have visual stress and need to decorate in a nice way. She was very cold and ended up ghosting me. She did not even say she was sorry to hear about everything I was going through and I feel I was tossed aside by her. I felt that they did not know how to converse with autistic people.
[Image removed by moderation team as it identified another person]
I cant even go out to do my special interest in singing.
That is a surprisingly curt response from someone dealing (hopefully usually more tactfully!) with autistic and vulnerable people every day. I suppose the only thing you can do now is go to a further meeting to show recent activity on that front, but as you've been essentially a prisoner in your own home and it probably took a lot to even cross the door and make it to the meeting first time around... well, no offence meant to the NAS workers and volunteers but... why not be a little more understanding and flexible? It's not like you're asking for the moon on a stick, just a letter of support to assist in a high-stress situation. I'm disappointed with NAS on this one, despite how much I value this place. Not good.
I shouldn't be surprised at the help you're not getting, but I am, I know I didn't have much help or support from the local autistic group, but I dont' think they're part of NAS, will your local NAS group do video meetings? Can you ask the police to back you up about the number of times they've been called to your block and the crimes they're being called to attend? I would suggest you seek the help of your MP, but that all a bit up in the air until the 4th of July. What about CAB can they help?
What about the national NAS will they not help and talk to your local branch?
Need a support group in my town and talk about the struggles have daily. Plus want to have more awareness.