Source: National Autistic Society published on this website Monday 13 January 2024
Autistic Knowledge Development (AKD) and the National Autistic Society Scotland (NAS Scotland) have launched a report celebrating the success of Embrace Autism.
Embrace Autism is a programme of pre- and post-diagnostic support for recently diagnosed or self-identifying autistic adults across Scotland, entirely designed and directly delivered by professionals who are themselves autistic.
The programme is an equal partnership between AKD an autistic-led, not-for-profit autism think tank, and NAS Scotland, a registered charity and membership organisation. Embrace Autism is funded by Inspiring Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund (AASF).
As is shown in the report, Embrace Autism is a time-limited but highly effective intervention which supports individuals to explore their autistic identity, learn how to navigate life, and create peer connections.
It is clear from the report, that it improves autistic adults’ sense of purpose, their understanding of their autism, and most importantly how they feel about being autistic:
- 1 in 4 felt no purpose in life when they started the programme, which reduced to 1 in 10 afterwards
- Before taking part, 44% did not feel part of a community at all, which reduced to 14% after taking part
- Before taking part, 6% of participants had a clear idea of what being autistic meant to them which increased to 33% after taking part
- 33% of participants felt acceptance about being autistic and 13%felt positive about it before starting the programme, which increased to 51% and 27% respectively afterwards
Post-diagnostic support programmes like Embrace Autism are crucial in improving outcomes for autistic adults. Sadly, it is well known that autistic people face significantly poorer outcomes than the general population.
It is also very challenging, if not impossible, for autistic adults to access a diagnosis, and there are very limited or no support options available to them. This means that many autistic adults are driven into situations requiring crisis support.
Effective post-diagnostic support, like Embrace Autism, can give people the knowledge and the tools they need to live meaningful, happy and healthy lives, preventing people from experiencing crisis situations requiring acute support.
