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Needing Shropshire based support

Botty

Newly diagnosed autistic at 57. Beginning my journey to process and think I'll need help. Are there any small group, coffee and chat type meetings I can access in the county? I'm not ready for large group type activities I think

  • Hi - congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community! Wave

    There are plenty of other late-realised and/or late-diagnosed people here, so you're in good company Slight smile

    You might be able to find some local groups via the NAS's Autism Services Directory.

    This NAS branch / group might also be of interest:

    NAS Shropshire group - A local National Autistic Society group offering quality support and guidance to a small group of autistic adults in Shrewsbury, Telford and Shropshire.

    I'd also suggest searching Facebook for any local support groups.

    In terms of more general advice and information, the NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or helpful:

    NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis - includes perspectives from other autistics

    NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    Therapy (or counselling) is often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before arranging it, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    Finally, I'll just mention a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:

    Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

    How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)