Autism

Autism is a life-long developmental disability that affects the way a person thinks, communicates and relates to people around them. Most people with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Autism Specturm Disorder (ASD) do not have a delay affecting all areas of their development to the same extent, but instead have an unusual pattern of strengths and difficulties. Some of the characteristics of ASC will also be more prominent at certain ages than at others, so the way that a person is affected will vary during their lifetime.

Understanding Autism for Parents/Guardians

  • Parents of young people can access spectrumgaming.net/parents for information
    about autism in general and about the work that Spectrum Gaming undertake.
  • Our Kids Eyes for parent workshops (sleep, sensory processing, school support,
    understanding ADHD/Autism. Additionally, they run coffee mornings and social
    events (e.g., mum/dad’s curry night). ourkidseyes.org or tel. 0161 342 5550.
  • For information about autism and access to expert webinars and other resources,
    access autistica.org.uk.
  • If your child has difficult speaking in certain situations, access the SMIRA website
    selectivemutism.org.uk for advice around managing and understanding selective
    mutism.
  • Parent support groups run by Tameside Action for Social Communication and
    Autism (TASCA). Email at [email protected]. Visit on Facebook:
    facebook.com/Tasca Tameside. Tel: 07754873480.

Understanding Autism for the Young Person

  • Accessing the book Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome written by Luke
    Jackson, a young person with a diagnosis.
  • The book ‘The Ice Cream Sundae Guide to Autism’, may also be helpful in
    understanding the different traits of autism and uniqueness of individuals with an
    autism diagnosis.
  • For young people/teenagers, a positive, acceptance-based understanding of social
    communication difficulties and autism can be found at spectrumgaming.net
  • I am Autism, an online platform for autistic young people aged 16-25 to begin to
    understand their autistic identity and reduce the isolation and loneliness that many
    feel, alongside engaging in peer support sessions, sharing experiences and finding
    volunteering and employment opportunities, & a youth liaison network: i-am-
    autism.org.uk

Additional Resources to Support Your Autistic Child

  • Use the young person’s interests to motivate them to engage with peers or young
    adults with similar interests.

Sleep Support

  • For older young people, access the Teen Sleep Hub for resources around sleep.
    There are resources for young people themselves and for parents or guardians.
    teensleephub.org.uk
  • The National Sleep Helpline can be contacted for free, confidential advice. To read
    more about what the National Sleep Helpline offer and their opening times, visit
    thesleepcharity.org.uk/national-sleep-helpline. The direct helpline number. is 03303
    530 541.
  • The young person may need support to access appropriate social and leisure
    activities; there are services available to help, e.g., Aspirations, Adult Autism
    Nursing Team, l-am-autism.org.uk

Mental Health Resources if Needed.

  • It may be helpful in anxiety provoking situations and when there are times of
    change, to use social stories and/or comic strip conversations. These can be
    developed together and aim to help prepare your child and enable them to problem
    solve and manage such situations. Information and literature about how to produce
    these resources is available by author Carol Gray. See carolgraysocialstories.com
    for more information.

-It may also be helpful to introduce teaching of strategies such as mindfulness and
grounding techniques in order to help your child to begin to learn to self-regulate.

  • Consider a referral to Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind (TOG Mind). You can find
    out more about what TOG Mind offer by accessing togmind.org/youth-mind
  • Consider accessing support from Off the Record, a free counselling service for young
    people in Tameside and Glossop, otr-tameside.org
  • Going forward, it may be appropriate to seek support from Child and Adolescent
    Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or Healthy Minds (adult) services in the future.

Information About Your Rights

Resources Appropriate for Young People 16+/When Your Young Person is 16+

  • For the individual to be recognised as having a disability under the Equality Act
    2010 and have the right to reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
  • For the individual to engage with the Foundation 92 SEND Programmes, including a
    person-centred one-to-one mentoring programme, which aims to support young
    people aged 16-24 years to develop personal skills such as confidence, creating
    and maintaining social and professional relationships, and other general
    employability skills. Read more at foundation92.co.uk/education.
  • Would need support to access any benefit claims; the DWP should offer adjustment
    to their assessment process. The young person may need an appropriate adult and
    advocacy when in contact with them.
  • In order to support your child or young adult with any future physical health
    difficulties or appointments; you will need to register as their carer with their GP.
  • Ambitious about Autism has launched an online platform for autistic young people
    aged 16-25 to begin to understand their autistic identity among other opportunities,
    Including an accessible Youth Network. You can access the youth network and their
    other opportunities at https://ambitious-youth-network.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/

LOCAL AND NATIONAL SUPPORT

Schools in Tameside are able to access advice from the Tameside’s Specialist Outreach
Support Service (TSOSS) outreach team if required by telephoning 0161 342 5503.


Schools in Glossop can access advice from Derbyshire Autism Outreach Service, a small
team of specialist teachers working with Autistic children and young people (and those in the
process of assessment) attending mainstream schools. Please contact the Peak School for
further information by telephoning 01663750324 or email [email protected].


The National Autistic Society is able to provide information and advice to parents, people with
autism and professionals through:

There are also parent support groups available in Tameside and Glossop:

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There are a number of apps available that allow you to order prescriptions online as well as do other things. The NHS app , Evergreen Life PHR and Patient Access and allow you to order repeat prescriptions, view your consultations including what your doctor, nurse, physician associate or others in the practice have written, see what problems you have and when they were diagnosed, see all your blood test results easily, see letters from the hospital. We recommend you download and install all 3 apps as they have different functions that complement one another. You can learn more about how to register for access to your records here.

The NHS app and Patient Access allow you to have proxy access for those you care for (as long as they give you permission to do so) so that you can do this on their behalf as well. You can learn more about proxy access here.