How can we end the wait for everyday support?

Four years ago, our campaigners worked together to secure a historic moment for people with autism and their families – the passing of the Autism Act. The Act aimed to put adults with autism on the agenda in all local areas, and remove the barriers that were preventing those adults from getting support, whether that is help with washing and dressing, finding work or even getting a diagnosis.

Before the Act, too many areas were ignoring the issue, but now we’re beginning to see progress. For instance, nearly every council has a person responsible for making sure they are following their new legal duties and around half of Local authorities now have a diagnostic pathway - a route for adults with autism to get a formal diagnosis.  But we know that progress across is slow and patchy, and too many adults with autism are still waiting for the everyday support they need.

This year, the Government is conducting a review to see if the intention of the Autism Act is being realised. This provides us with two huge opportunities.

Firstly, we can tell the Government how they can do more to ensure the support adults with autism need is available wherever you live in the England. We’ll be calling for more funding for autism services, closer monitoring or what local areas are doing and clearer guidance about what needs to happen.

Secondly, we have a huge opportunity to change the support that is available to adults with autism where you live. With a renewed focus on the Autism Act, it’s our best chance yet to make our voices heard loud and clear: “our wait for support must end!”

How you can Push for Action
 
1) Join the campaign today.  By signing up here.  You can join your local community in pushing for better support for adults with autism where you live. You will find information about how your own council is performing, as well as how many others have joined your local campaign. You will receive regular updates about what you can do to support the campaign in your area. You can also add your voice to theirs and share your own experiences on our wall.

2) Get your community involved.  We’re stronger when we act together, so once you’ve signed up, see how many of your friends, family and colleagues you can get to join your campaign. You will also find a wealth of resources from posters and reports to balloons and badges here, which can help you to get your message heard where you live.