Published on 12, July, 2020
This needs to be the basis of changes to law and legislation - all Lords and MP’s in the House of Commons & Lords need to be lobbied continually until the law is changed to make this a basic legal right of all those diagnosed and a basic legal obligation on all service providers both public and private
The first step immediately after diagnosis in all cases must always be a post-diagnostic assessment to evaluate in a proper and systematic manner the level and type of autism and to assess and identify the appropriate levels and types of post diagnostic supports required in all areas of a person’s life and in depth and detail - this must become a basic legal entitlement for all autistic people and a basic legal obligation as part of basic professional standards for all of those public and private bodies tasked with autism related issues without needing to obtain a GP referral - these medical professionals in these areas must also have a basic legal responsibility to keep up to date with all the latest research on autism and related issues
For anyone who hasn't yet been offered any support, this NAS article includes - and explains all about - a template letter that you can use, post diagnosis, to request a personalised plan in accordance with NICE guidelines:
NAS - Formal support following an autism diagnosis
I got zero post diagnosis support. I tried all the autism charities asking for help and eventually got a place on a six week adult asd post diagnosis course. It was good but only six sessions were useless. I could have and did get all the information from the web.
I guess you have to fight for your rights but do not hold your breath!
You're fine. It was a good reply. I think I'm to old, and too much damage done in the past, to benefit much from any much needed improvements. As I said on X, 'After a while you reach a point where nothing can be done to fix the damage of bad treatment in the past. You then, for sanity's sake, have to do the best you can with how things are - rather than how things could/should've been. That's f*****g hard. ' However if this leads to improved lives for other autistic persons I'd be pleased.
For me, I agree that I need "low-level support services" - a bit of education and peer support.
I'll semi-anonymise, but I think that a certain lady who loves cats would also like little bits of support here and there but nothing too intrusive and overwhelming. It probably wouldn't even cost that much if one support worker was shared between 50 people who similarly only require occasional support
(I can already see the future cost-cutting by councils/governments. 100 people then 200 people. then cancelled due to 'ineffectiveness'.)
P.S. I am really bad a digesting large chunks of formal text. If I have missed the point, then my apologies!