The Scottish Strategy for Autism: engagement analysis

Appendix A – Samples of responses to Question 5: what one single thing could the Scottish Government do to improve autistic people's lives?

Below is a randomly selected sample of responses to question five our engagement exercise: what one single thing could the Scottish Government do to improve autistic people's lives?

• Legislation, rather than a strategy, so that there are statutory obligations which must be met by education authorities, health trusts etc re the provision of services and supports.
• Employ autistic people to evaluate sensory and social environments
• Get it right at primary and academy levels! Provide more support and funding for these children to have good school lives
• Make it easier to first get diagnosis, then set up support network for the parents, ensure adequate schooling with GIRFEC included more ASN teachers and schools
• Put more money into autism.
• Introduce ABA techniques and invest in the training of staff and education
• It doesn't effect our family personally but make it easier for adults with autism to receive benefits, statistics show only a very small percentage of adults have a full time job, so if they are to live independently they should be given this chance
• by forming autistic citizens panels for all public agencies which are made by autistic people
• Listen to the person, parent, carer or person supporting them.
• Adopt United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Scottish Law.
• a handbook which is Information for Adults following
• Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and children but made for each region in Scotland. would be a good starting point.
• Secure. The. One. Stop. Shops!!!
• Recruit a national independent Autism Champion.
• Make autism friendly a standard offering rather than unusual offering.
• Give people with a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome or Autism a direct automatic entitlement to PIP.
• Parity of esteem - Ensure that a mental health disability is given equal priority as physical health. It is a chronic, life long condition that has a huge impact on people's lives.
• Resources for adults with Aspergers who don't fit the obvious clinical priorities
• Because the problems encountered by autistic people can be unique to them as individuals it is hard to say any single thing....a community focussed approach may help though
• Open a disability dept. Run by people with disabilities who have had experience of the dark side of claiming help.
• Please stop the medicals for conditions that don't change. The stress is unbearable.
• RAISE AWARENESS!!!!!!!!
• Give more employment opportunities, more access to further education, more autism awareness in public places
• More accessability and autism friendly places for people to go to.
• Help the families, once a parent has been told that their child has Autism, they are handed leaflets and told to go online themselves.they have no one to turn too, except Autism groups.
• Promote Austim as a good thing not for people to avoid
• Listen with an open mind. Respond with a heart.
• Quick diagnosis and faster post diagnostic care which is relevant such as dietitics, sleep clinics, counselling and confidence building. Finance community support projects in each city.
• Clearer pathways to assessment, diagnosis, post diagnostic support -- as individuals often advise they do not understand why this becomes embroiled within autism , mental health and learning disability, leading to frustration and confusion
• Be realistic
• Treat us the same as everyone else. We don't wish to be viewed as a subset of society - why would the government choose to single us out for special treatment? That only makes us feel more different than we already do!
• Increase mental health services and support workers and access to these services
• Recruit, or have the Scottish Parliament recruit an Independent Autism Champion for Scotland.
• Raising awareness of ALL aspects of autism and comorbid disorders. Advertisement involving real people?
• Provide independent advocates for all autistic people who are unable to advocate for self
• Fast track diagnosis, and recognise pda when it is present.
• Create a fund to enable autistic young people or adults to access further learning or training opportunities