need some help??

Hi Davek75 - we're also contactable by email on autismhelpline@nas.org.uk. 

I'm going to ask our helpline for more information which I'll try to pass onto you via your email. 

I just want to reiterate my earlier concern that NAS needs to take note of this problem urgently - Moderators please....

For one thing, the original poster Davek75 needs help, and maybe if phoning doesn't appeal to him, NAS could post some productive advice on here.

But there is the wider issue of homelessness and especially rough sleepers with autism, because lacking social networking skills, they miss opportunities for help.

I'm sure with some kind of cooperation with Shelter and other homeless organisations, NAS could do something to intercept more people with autism falling into this category.

I don't know whether NAS will feel any obligation to do something about this, but I'll leave my suggestion here in the hope to Moderators take it up and pass it on.

If NAS could talk to Shelter and other homelessness charities about how to spot autistic traits, it might be that between them they could get help for people in this category.

But it should also be something the Government would welcome. Vagrancy is something that disadvantages modern society. Most people want it hidden away, not visible.

There are several types of vagrancy - people there though no choice of their own, people there by choice, and people who are not real vagrants but are there looking to exploit public sympathy (the ones who are living in houses but sit around playing beggar - who are often also better at getting money off the public).

If there were ways to rescue those not there by choice it would significantly reduce the numbers of genuine vagrants, and indeed those their by choice are often much more discrete (because they want to roam independently rather than be conspicuous). So the fraudsters then could be more easily dealt with.

But it must also be in the national interest to reduce vagrancy. It can be done by means of hostels and self-help communities. But as I indicated, people with autism who cannot socialise or network well are the ones falling through this net.

So any initiative to rescue those with autism left with no option but rough sleeping would be both helping those with autism to live more rewarding and fulfilling lives, and it would help reduce the problem of vagrancy.

As to Davek75, the Original Poster on this thread, I wish him every success in finding a better life in 2014. I don't know if he would agree with me about my perceptions of the motivations or categories of rough sleepers (I'm looking at it from outside bar a smattering of insider contacts). Happy New Year

It all boils down to two words: invisible disability.  If services can't see something obvious, to them it doesn't exist.  It's not a mental illness, it's not a physical disability or an injury producing a lifelong handicap, so you must be capable.

People with autism don't easily ask for help/don't know how to.  Couple that with invisible disability and it's easy for them to overlook.  I say "easy" sardonically, because obviously I mean they deliberately overlook.

Of course, without the Autism Strategy being policed, they can just carry on.

As an afterthought, I've been mulling over why there should be so many people with autistic traits sleeping rough.

If you think about it, autism is to a large extent about social integration difficulty. It produces people who are loners, who don't fit in to social groups.

Most people who become nominally homeless are able to find "communal" alternatives - sleeping on someone's sofa or floor - different houses at different times, obtained by making social connections. Or living in a squat, which usually implies a group of people, socially connected, taking over an empty house without legal tenure. The ability to occupy illegally depends on some members of the squat staying in while others go out.

Or there are organised community initiatives, like Camphill Communities, mentioned by 'toffee' in the thread under Parents and Carers - Independent living for son with aspergers, in the context of Scotland, but also in England and Wales. These organisations rely on mutual help. Some "christian" organisations like Jesus Army take in homeless to form much of their community. But I cannot imagine many people with autism or aspergers being able to cope with the claustrophobic, intensely social structure of Jesus Army.

Most people in such difficulties know how to make social connections, one way or another, in order to cushion their low circumstances.

So the upshot is, people with autism, who cannot socially connect and access networks, end up living alone. And the chances of finding anywhere safe without networking is little if any. So they end up sleeping rough.

The risk, for people with autism, of ending up sleeping rough must be both considerable and predictable. So why has there been so little research on this?

Also if anyone feels I'm being harsh on the DWP, refer to the threads under Work and Volunteering: under ATOS leaked report...... (where I've looked at the evidence of how ATOS assessors operate, and the Litchfield Report) and under Equality Impact Assessment of DLA Reform (the truly ludicrous gloss over of the damage this policy could do to disabled people, and the ridiculous data on which their definition of disability is based). This bizarre data set also underpins the Disability Confident initiative.

The data on which DWP claim that many disabled people aren't entitled to benefit is appallingly badly put together, indeed it looks like someone has interfered with an earlier survey on just health conditions.

If there are more people with autism sleeping rough it is more down to negligence and malice by DWP than any failure of Social Services.

Someone needs to look closely at what is going on behind the scenes at DWP.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/16/health/autism-homeless-man/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un8jkA374Sc

That's how I felt when I read it Longman.  It really is horrific and something needs to be done urgently.

I am beginning to feel that people with autism are seen as a waste of space, a drain on society that nothing can/will be done for, it's a losing battle, no-one is interested, apathy rules.

I do like reading conspiracy theories, and I believe everyone should keep an open mind until proven otherwise...and it does make you question whether the government knows what has caused autism and maybe is responsible and that this is why nothing is really happening to help people.

Thanks for the "autism work barrier" link, IntenseWorld. This independent site seems to be doing a good job, and the page highlighted by IntenseWorld makes concerning reading.

Apparently there is hardly any research on autism and homelessness. NAS has done something in Wales, and that seems to be it.

The link page concentrates on a study by Pritchard at Bournemouth University on "entrenched rough sleepers" (people who rely on sleeping in doorways and underpasses etc  the cardboard box existence).  Pritchard looked only at Devon and found that 9 out of 14 rough sleepers had autistic traits. That's 65% or nearly 2 out of 3!

He also found that most of these potentially autistic rough sleepers were not there by choice (as is the case with some rough sleepers) but because they had been let down by Social Services, and simply had no alternatives.

That is SHOCKING. Maybe we have become desentistised, but I challenge anyone, even someone in the Department of Work and Pensions, not to be shocked by the numbers of autistic people living on the streets.

And the incresing numbers of people facing this dilemma because of the heartless and inhumane handling of the benefits reforms by DWP staff. Because I do think the reforms raise important issues, but I think apart from poor government the DWP has used it as some kind of backlash arising from their own twisted minds.

Just have a thought, as we enter 2014, just how many people with autism are sleeping rough because this country doesn't care!

There is a number to call if you are homeless here:

http://www.hopeworldwide.org.uk/Page.asp?p=17&cat=2 and an email address:

There might be something here: http://www.quarriers.org.uk/what-we-do/all-services/

The scale of the problem that Davek75 has: http://autismworkbarrier.org.uk/articles/autism-homelessness-and-unemployment

Help here: https://www.gov.uk/emergency-housing-if-homeless

Possible support here? http://www.cpft.nhs.uk/services/national-autistic-society.htm

"A wide range of services are offered including: The Centre for Autism, outreach and student support services including the running of six autism-specialist schools around the UK; residential, community and social support; employment support and diagnosis of complex needs."

Davek, if before entering the discussion forum next time, stop first at the Community page, bottom right hand corner is a little red map of Britain headed "Find Local Services".

Sadly this facility is not as good as it ought to be. If you put in some search term like "diagnosis" or "adult services" and a place it will still give you every other place first.

But with a bit of patience you will find what services are near you that you could approach.

Hopefully NAS will eventually wake up and give you some proper help - maybe their Director could make himself useful.

I assume GP access is not as simple as IntenseWorld describes it - but some GP centres exist in some towns that will help, just other towns don't seem to have anything comparable.

I'm not party political, I'll go along with any Government, but this Coalition Government has broken all records for heartless insensitive obsession with their own ideological machinations and have done harm to just about everybody. Sadly I don't think any of them have such a thing as a conscience or any notion of shame, and while I understand the PM had a disabled child, it doesn't seem to have opened his eyes much.

Also, your social worker should either help you, or put you in touch with someone who can help you, apply for relevant benefits.  The LA also has a duty to house you.

If you have access to a current GP, either s/he or social services may be able to trace your adoptive parents to get paperwork about your diagnosis.

hello longman

in reply to your last posting.... everything you have said is correct, i am not in touch with my adoptive parents any longer and have no medical records stating i have aspergers..

i feel i need a fresh diagnosis to help me get the support i need as an adult on the spectrum...

i am currently homeless, i do use a public computer to leave my postings, i didnt phone NAS as i felt there would be nothing they could do for me, i also have an issue with telephones... not knowing when to start talking or when to stop... im unsure of what to say face to face and find communication confusing and fustrating...

as for the benefits system i am at a total loss, i have a little help now but other than that was told to claim job seekers allowance... no mention of (PIP) or ESA... i had to find all that out on my own??... 

i now have a temporary social worker, but dont really understand what he is supposed to be doing or how he can help??

i need a diagnosis so i can access what is left of the so called help system after the government has axed most of the services we were entitled to get help from??

believe it or not most of the properties i am currently "bidding on" with the local authorty (council) a diagnosis would help me no end in putting my points up and enabling me to maybe at least get a roof over my head!!!

He was diagnosed as a young teenager, when the diagnosis would be held by his adopted parents.

Reading other postings by Davek I get the impression he has been homeless and living rough at times. So I suspect he hasn't got the documents still. If he has often been homeless his medical records may have been lost by now.

He was adopted so his adopted parents may not be around or may no longer be supportive. Davek might wish to elaborate but I suspect he is out of touch with them, and may even now be in a different part of the country.

He may not have a formal GP but be using the GP centre for homeless in his current area, who wont have paperwork. It may be difficult to get a referral.

My impression last time was Davek was accessing a library computer (many of these charge) or a free hub somewhere like a shopping mall, where there's no security. 

NAS, when they eventually clocked the last posting, after nudges from at least me, suggested he phone them. From a call box? With what? Get Real NAS.

There is a MAJOR problem with people diagnosed autistic as children, particularly those in care, or fostered or adopted, but also those who've fallen out with or lost touch with their parents, who are now homeless or on the streets. It is a real crisis.

But I don't see any sign of NAS addressing this. It is supposed to have been taken up as part of the Adult Autism Strategy.

Davek probably has no means of accessing his previous diagnosis, and I presume they are ignoring his claims to have had one when he seeks help. He can only access the web occasionally.

And all NAS said last time was - well he didn't phone us....Well wake up NAS, because the autistic homeless population in this country is a fundamental disgrace, a breach of human rights.

And the Government's mean and spiteful Benefits Assessment is putting more people in vulnerable situations like this. What does it take to get people to wake up to the problem?

But that wouldn't be a diagnosis it would be a more detailed report.

Hi, when you say you want a "fresh diagnosis", am I correct in assuming you want a more indepth diagnosis about how Aspergers affects you personally?

Asperger's is a lifelong condition so you don't need a fresh diagnosis.  Your existing diagnosis is all you need.  Presumably it is on your medical records?  That's all the proof you need.  If it's not and you have a copy of the original diagnostic report, you can ask your GP to put it on your health records.  If you need to claim DLA you can send the DWP a copy of the report along with explaining how the condition affects you.  If your original diagnosis was an NHS one they will tell you that you don't need a new one just to satisfy yourself as the original one stands.  Asperger's is a neurological condition, your brain is wired differently.