I'm 17, and got diagnosed with autism last year. Does anyone know any support I can access? — Scope | Disability forum
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I'm 17, and got diagnosed with autism last year. Does anyone know any support I can access?

NinthHuman
NinthHuman Community member Posts: 3 Listener
edited June 2021 in Autism and neurodiversity
I am 17 and when I was diagnosed, last year, as autistic I got given no support when diagnosed instead my parents got given tonnes of information about how to treat an autistic child.  And when I asked why I got given no support they said that we just tended to figure it out. The (Removed by moderator). Anyway just wondering if anyone can help/ teach me how to (Removed by moderator, profanity) cope with everyone's (Removed by moderator, profanity)
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Comments

  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @NinthHuman and welcome to the community, glad to see you join us and I hope you're well today. 

    I'm sorry to hear that you received no support when you were diagnosed, was it a specialist that didn't provide you with support or your GP? 

    It might be a good idea to contact somewhere like NAS, to see if they can help you in any way. They have a helpline.

    Just to let you know, I have removed portions of your post which contained profanity, in accordance with our guidelines.
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  • NinthHuman
    NinthHuman Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hello @Ross_Scope thanks for the welcome. I can't remember exactly but I believe it was CAHMS that gave me the diagnosis. And thanks I will check out NAS. Sorry for the excessive use of profanity.
  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,488 Disability Gamechanger
    Welcome to the community @NinthHuman :) I'm also sorry to hear that you haven't had any support since getting your diagnosis. 

    I'd definitely encourage you to go back and speak to your GP to let them know what's happening. They might be able to point you in the direction of any local support, as well as help you access any other support e.g. counselling or therapy. Have you had a think about the kind of support you would benefit from?
    And when I asked why I got given no support they said that we just tended to figure it out.
    Who said this to you? That isn't a helpful response, and you shouldn't have to deal with this on your own. 

    As you're 17, are you currently still in education? 

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  • NinthHuman
    NinthHuman Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Hi @Tori_Scope. It was the group of people that diagnosed me that said adolescents just tended to figure it out, I believe it was 2 people from CAHMs and 1 from the council. I am trying to seek further help from CAHMs but it's taking its time. And yes I am still in full-time education, currently in year 12.
  • Anomalous123
    Anomalous123 Community member Posts: 21 Connected
    In terms of education, do you get any support from the school? With the diagnosis, you can ask to sign up for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) will access your needs and put support measures in place, such as free education until your 25 years old, one to one sessions in class, extra time in exams and/ or a scribe and a reader. It all depends on your individual needs, but these are a few examples for what they can help you with.

    If your condition affects aspects in your everyday life that makes simple tasks hard, you can see if you're eligible for Personal Idependence Payment (PIP). This works on a point based system and involves needing help or prompting to perform daily tasks, such as washing, dressing, using public transport, eating, using the toilet, communicating/socializing with others,  managing your finances, mobility issues, extra... The full list can be found on gov.uk.

    There should also be support groups in your area or courses that help build confidence and socialization skills which you can look into. These depend on where you live and what time of the year it's open. You may find that services or meetings are limited due to covid-19, so it's worth checking.

    I hope this helps you think of some ideas, however, it is down to you and the availability in your area.

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