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Sonny Hallett, chair of AMASE and lead author of the report, talks about the report’s findings and AMASE’s recommendations.
Hi, I’m Sonny Hallett, Chair of AMASE, the Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh. We are an Autistic People’s Organisation, and all of our members and committee, are on the autism spectrum.
(video 1) The findings from our report highlight major issues with mental health provision for autistic people. Over a quarter of our respondents talked about being denied access to mental health support specifically because of their autism diagnosis, and many more talked about being misunderstood, not taken seriously, or not listened to when they were trying to express their distress to practitioners.
The findings from our report highlight major issues with mental health provision for autistic people. Over a quarter of our respondents talked about being denied access to mental health support specifically because of their autism diagnosis, and many more talked about being misunderstood, not taken seriously, or not listened to when they were trying to express their distress to practitioners.
(video 2) Some think that autistic people lack empathy, but non-autistic people often find it just as hard to understand us or read our emotions. Anyone who works with autistic people therefore needs to understand the importance of listening to what we’re actually trying to tell them, rather than just going from what they think they see.
(video 3) Autism isn’t a mental illness, but rates of mental ill health and suicide are extremely high within the autistic population. A recent study found that autistic adults without a learning disability are up to nine times more likely to take their own lives as those in the general population. There is therefore an urgent need for practitioners to understand and address the issues facing autistic people in accessing mental health services.
(video 4) The NHS and Scottish Government are duty bound to provide a decent level of care for all people, regardless of disability. A diagnosis of autism, therefore, should never be a reason for a person to be denied access to mental health services.
Through the publication of this report, we are calling upon the authorities to improve the situation for autistic people. We recommend that they do this through:
Ensuring that services are accessible and appropriate for us;
Securing funding for support services that are doing good work in improving the lives of autistic people, such as some of the existing One Stop Shops;
Prioritising research into autism and mental health;
Providing autistic-led training for practitioners;
And creating a route for newly-diagnosed autistic people to access the right kinds of mental health support.
None of this should be done without the involvement of autistic people ourselves.
Our message is clear: nothing about us, without us.