News – 6th July 2017 NAS analysis has found individuals are also waiting almost 25 percent longer to get a diagnosis appointment than two years ago. A diagnosis should trigger a social care assessment but the new figures suggest this is happening in just 45% of local areas, down from 54% in 2014/15. The NAS…

Minutes of the Twenty Second Post-Diagnostic Support Group 5th July 2017 Today’s group was attended by 37 people. Items discussed were: The meeting started with Calvin apologising for the absence of Linda from the group and also why Carly and Gail had not attended today. He then went on to introduce himself and other members…

News – 30th June 2017 Mental Health Today – GPs call for more talking therapies The Royal College of General Practitioners has blamed limited access to talking therapies for a surge in antidepressant use. The NHS prescribed a record number of antidepressants last year, new figures from NHS Digital have revealed. Prescriptions for 64.7m antidepressants…

The National Autistic Society & Network Autism “Autism Insight” – 29 June 2017 Share This Post:

  Dear All   For the first time ever I will not be at the Post-Diagnostic Support Group. This will be because I am on holiday. Calvin bought me the holiday as a surprise and had asked Carly previously which dates to avoid in July. Unfortunately he made a Dyspraxic/Dyslexic error and picked the dates…

We are currently in discussions with the Project Lead of this Research Project regarding identifying Autism in deaf children and are trying to help the with their recruitment process. If you would like to participate please email Helen Phillips. Based on what we have learnt about assessments of deaf people this Research is much needed.…

British Gas has teamed up with the National Autistic Society to understand the experiences of customers on the autism spectrum. This will help British Gas understand how they might better support customers. In the past two years, British Gas has worked with a number of charities such as Mind, Action on Hearing Loss and The…

A father has spoken of his relief after his autistic teenage son finally took a drink from his new beaker. Fourteen-year-old Ben Carter had been drinking from the same blue, two handled beaker Tommee Tippee beaker since he was a baby, and would drink from nothing else. His father Marc posted a message online pleading…

We have some parents who are liaising with the National Autistic Society regarding their experience of attending face to face assessments for DWP disability benefit Employment Support Allowance.     They would like to give a voice for other people who may have had such experiences.   If you would like to be part of…

The National Autistic Society – Welcome to our new online Community! Share This Post:

As many of you may be aware, Dr. Linda Buchan has provided Consultation to numerous NICE Guidelines.   Linda is a Stakeholder and has been involved specifically with the scope and guidance on the “Transition from children’s to adults’ services for young people using health or social care services”   Building independence through planning for…

Mental Health Today – News 19th June 2017 The BACP warned this month that counselling could be removed from the NICE Guidelines for Depression, leaving NHS patients only access to CBT. What could this mean for the mental health of the UK? Favouring cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) over counselling is not a new thing. The…

Laura James is a successful writer, journalist and mother. She’s also autistic. She describes a night out at a restaurant with her husband that should have been a lovely evening for them both. But Laura needs a restaurant to follow a few simple rules. A Tex-Mex circus with hundreds of menu options and unhelpful waiters…

  Share This Post:

Goldsmiths, University of London researchers working with adults recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder have found high rates of depression, low employment, and an apparent worsening of some ASD traits as people age. The number of UK adults over 65 with ASD is expected to reach 155,000 by 2035, but little is known about the…