can you help me develop high quality support for Autistic adults? — Scope | Disability forum
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can you help me develop high quality support for Autistic adults?

KerrieLightwood
KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
edited January 2021 in Autism and neurodiversity
Hello everyone, I have a supported living service in development and I really want it to provide the kind of support you or your loved one would be excited to live in. To do that I have linked with N.A.S and will be working with them but as the parent of an Autistic adult myself I know the best person to tell me what looks like great would be him! or you! If you are an Autistic adult or the partner/parent/family member of an Autistic adult would you help me? I will be posting new challenges regularly and looking for advice as to how to best rise to that challenge. I would be so grateful for any input :) 
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Comments

  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @KerrieLightwood

    This sounds like a great opportunity for our members to get involved with, thank you for sharing it.

    What would participation look like for people?  Also, would you be collecting any of our members details?  If so, could you pop us an email through to community@scope.org.uk so we can run through a few safety bits :)

    I hope you are having a great day and speak soon.
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  • KerrieLightwood
    KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
    Thanks for the response Cher, I haven't quite figured it out the detail as yet but I have a development plan which might ask a question such as "how will you make sure tenants views are heard in relation to how the rooms in the home are used" (made that one up) and I would post the question in this thread and invite people to let me know how they think I can do that.
    I have no plans to collect peoples details but would possible transcribe their comments into my development plan
  • Tubz
    Tubz Community member Posts: 26 Courageous
    Hi Kerrie. I have Aspergers and am passionate about developing support for the condition. Therefore, I am happy to help if I can. :) 
  • KerrieLightwood
    KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
    Thank you so  much Tubz, if you wouldnt mind keeping an eye on this thread I hope to start asking questions at the end of next week 
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    Sounds like a fun, engaging opportunity @KerrieLightwood

    Looking forward to the questions.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,651 Connected
    I have Asperger's and it'll be 15 years in August since I moved into a supported living Flat in Netherthorpe, Sheffield, for about the first 5 years the support was excellent, and then just over 5 years after I moved in the Housing Association started making noises about me moving out, even though I was nowhere near ready and I'm still not... If I could move into Autism specific accommodation though with staff on site and my own Flat (I don't do shared living, never have done) I'd possibly like that.

    Especially if it was in an area this end of Sheffield on a good Bus and Tram route.

  • KerrieLightwood
    KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
    MrAllen Hi and thank you for the message, I hope you find your ideal home soon. so for you a place of your own is the most important thing or is there anything in a shared home that would encourage you to give that a try?
  • KerrieLightwood
    KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
    Hi folks I have made a start and have a few questions around communication, if you have time to let me know what you think and please share with anyone else that might have an opinion :)  Thanks for the help 

    what is the best way to help you or an Autistic person you know to;
     A. Understand what is being asked of you 
    B. Understand Information being given to you
    C. Tell others something that matters to you
    D. Cope with a social situation that is difficult
  • RichardLel
    RichardLel Community member Posts: 48 Courageous
    I like it, Austistic interests tend to come first above everything else, in getting someone to engage with someone wanting to interact. I not for everybody stuck in this situation with ASD as all individual and have own needs and abilty. But found with caring with family with autism, even with my self with autism,  have to take on board their expectations  first that able bring something new into the discussion. Talk about a social situation human interaction and there a sensory environment also to consider I find can cause breakdowns.
  • KerrieLightwood
    KerrieLightwood Community member Posts: 12 Connected
    Thank you Richard! so if I find out your interests and use that to communicate with you it helps? for example if someone is skilled at Art I might draw something that shows what I need or ask them to draw what they want to share ?
    If I were to add a picture of something you were interested in would that help me to get your attention?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,651 Connected
    MrAllen Hi and thank you for the message, I hope you find your ideal home soon. so for you a place of your own is the most important thing or is there anything in a shared home that would encourage you to give that a try?
    Nope.

    Worst thing was not  being able to get in the Bathroom in a morning, especially when most mornings I wake up bursting for a wee, and couldn't back then because somebody was already in the Bathroom! Also not being able to choose what the evening meal was, for some bizarre reason they insisted on having Spag Bol most nights, and I hated that! Every night I'd end up going across to AJ's (local corner shop) for a Mars Bar or up the Chippy for a bag of chips, that was the good thing about living in Grimsby back then, because it's a Fishing Town there's a chip shop on most roads.

    Nice little Town as well, if I could afford to live there I'd have possibly stayed on after I left College.




  • Kit_
    Kit_ Community member Posts: 31 Connected
    I think offering lots of options like text/writing, verbal or multiple choice (either written or pictures to choose from) is best. Someone could be happy speaking one day and non-verbal the next. Remembering what worked in the past is obviously great but no guarantee that it will always work. Making sure things are clear as well is important, sometimes if a question has 2 parts I won't know which is the bit you want me to answer, or if you're saying "it" but could be referring to 2 different things, that could be confusing. (I can't think of an example right now but it has happened a lot to me)

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