This leaflet is for Young People of Secondary School age who have

recently been told they have autism

Autism Resources Coordination HubARCH

IntroductionThis booklet will tell you lots of different things about your autism:

it will explain that you have autism

who the people are who told you that you have autism

who might be involved in offering you support now you have been diagnosed with autism

different signposts and helpful resources

It’s really important that you know that having autism has good points as well as challenges. You might want to ask someone to read through and discuss this leaflet with you like your parent or a teacher.

There will be some things about having autism that make life a little more difficult for you, but other things which mean you may have many strengths and skills in areas other people do not.

What is Autism?Autism affects about 1 person in 67 in Scotland. This means that in South Lanarkshire there are about 5,000 people with autism – so you are not the only young person with autism.Data Source: Scottish Government Pupil Census Supplementary Data

If you are a young person who has autism, you usually have different abilities and difficulties during your development. These are:

highly developed interests or skills – For example you may have a very good memory or be great at maths or music. You may have a very detailed knowledge of a particular area that interests you. This can make you look at the detail in things and this can help you gain a lot of specialist knowledge

social difficulties – Like making friends, joining conversations and understanding the intentions of others. For example, you might not be able to imagine what young people, teachers or family members are thinking about during your conversations. You might have noticed things like this yourself, for example you might find it difficult to fit in at school or take part in activities and social events like parties

problems with your mood or behaviour and using your imagination – you might be sometimes feeling anxious, have a low mood (feel sad) or overwhelmed. You may have difficulty managing changes and prefer sticking to familiar routines. This might mean you try to avoid new situations

difficulties with language and communication – How you use your voice may be different from others. It may seem to be too loud, or soft, or too fast or slow, or not go up and down like voices usually do. You may need time to understand what other people say to you, or have difficulty expressing your thoughts and feelings

sensory sensitivities – Which mean you might be over or under sensitive to light, sounds, taste, smell or touch of certain things

Who decided I have autism?If you or some of the people around you thought you might have had some of these difficulties, you would have been sent to a specialist team of professionals who after making an assessment have decided that you have autism.

An assessment is when relevant information about you, including your own views are gathered together in order to decide if you have autism.

This is called your ‘diagnosis’. The range of people who make these decisions can include different kinds of professionals. In South Lanarkshire this can be a mix of the following professionals:

Psychiatrist – A doctor who diagnoses and helps people with difficulties in thinking, emotion and behaviour

Paediatrician – A doctor who specialises in helping children and young people

Speech and Language Therapist – A person who works with children and young people who have difficulties with communication

Psychologist – A person who helps support people with difficulties in their thinking or behaviour

Occupational Therapist – A person who is trained to help people manage the activities they do on a daily basis like washing and toileting as well as sensory difficulties

Specialist Nurse – A nurse who is also trained to help people with autism or someone who has a learning disability or needs emotional support

One or more of these professionals will have told you and your parent or carers about you having autism. Some of these professionals might see you more than once. Your assessment will give you a better overall summary of what you are good at or find difficult. A written copy of your assessment will be shared with you and your parents.

How I may feel about my diagnosisYou might feel a sense of relief once you are told you have autism

It can help to explain the difficulties you’ve had and you can now begin to understand why you may feel different.

But if you have more questions about your autism condition or you don’t find your assessment helpful, we encourage you to talk to the professionals who told you or your parents and tell them you have questions or don’t understand some things about your autism. You can ask as many questions as you want. If you are not sure about something, the team will explain it to you in a way you understand.

It is OK to want to know more about autism, or to ask questions later on (i.e. weeks or months after you are diagnosed)

Who will support me now and will those people understand me?Everyone who works with you should know about autism. They should have the knowledge and skills to be able to support you to manage your autism. These people can be:

your parent carer

other family members (like your sister, brother or Gran)

your guidance teacher / pupil support teacher

your educational psychologist (if you have one)

your social worker (if you have one)

friends

other professionals you might be involved with

What will happen as I get older?All young people with autism change as they grow up, so it isn’t possible to predict exactly how your condition will change. Your autism is a lifelong condition but you can manage it positively!

ARCH – is South Lanarkshire’s hub where you can get information and signposts to helpful resources and supports. Phone: 0344 225 1111

Elament – South Lanarkshire’s mental health support website. If you feel anxious or stressed this is a good website to find supports and information which can help. www.elament.org.uk/

Aspies Central – a really good website for young people with Autism – www.aspiescentral.com/ This can help you see how other young people have learned to cope with some of the challenges of having autism, and made good use of their abilities.

REACH at Enquire – for Additional Support for Learning. If you would like to exchange ideas and get information about support in school this is a great resource. www.reach.scot/

‘Ask An Autistic’ is a really good series of Youtube presentations by Amythest Shaber who is a young woman with autism. Amythest explains lots of things relating to autism which is clear and easy to understand. Ask an Autistic – You Tube Film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vju1EbVVgP8

SIGN booklet on Autism for Young People – www.sign.ac.uk/assets/pat145_young_people.pdf

‘I Am Special’ by Peter Vermeulen (Jessica Kingsley publishers; published 2000) – A really good and straightforward book introducing Children and Young People to their Autistic Spectrum Condition.

Resources where can I find out more?

Produced for Social Work Resources by Communications and Strategy. 041297/Feb18

If you need this information in another language or format, please contact us to discuss how we can best meet your needs. Phone: 0303 123 1015 Email: equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk

www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk