Autism: Sources of Help and Support

On this page:

• Getting a Diagnosis and the Benefits
• Thames Valley Autism Alert Card
• West Berkshire Autism Partnership Board Guidance Pack
• Adult Autism Strategy and Action Plan
• Additional Sources of Information
   

Getting a Diagnosis and the Benefits

Have you ever wondered if you're autistic? Finding out if you're autistic could help answer questions that may have bothered you all your adult life. Autism is a disability.

The benefits of getting a formal diagnosis of autism can include:

• Helping you to understand why you may experience certain difficulties and what you can do about them
   
• When the people close to you understand why you may see and feel the world in a different way and find certain things difficult, it's much easier for them to empathise
   
• Helping you to get access to support and benefits

If you, a friend or a family member think you're autistic, see your GP to request an assessment. Your GP needs a reason to refer you for diagnosis, so you need to explain why you think you could be autistic and how a diagnosis would benefit you.
 

Thames Valley Autism Alert Card

The Thames Valley Autism Alert Card, produced by Autism Berkshire, is a small card that autistic people can use to quickly and easily explain the condition to others.

Autism Berkshire issues the card free of charge to autistic people of all ages and their parents or carers living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes. 

You can find further information and an online application form on the Autism Berkshire website, here.
 

West Berkshire Autism Partnership Board Guidance Pack

The West Berkshire Autism Partnership Board has produced an excellent guidance pack for adults who have either received a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), or for people who haven't received a formal diagnosis but suspect they might be autistic.
 

Adult Autism Strategy and Action Plan

Alongside the Guidance pack mentioned above, the West Berkshire Autism Partnership Board have also produced an  Adult Autism Strategy [739KB]  and action plan. 

We are currently reviewing our Adult Autism Strategy and Action Plan 2019-2022. We want our revised strategy to be aligned with the National Strategy for Autistic Children, Young People and Adults (2021-2026) which extended the scope of the strategy to include children and young people for the first time. 

Additional Sources of Information

Below, we have linked some useful websites and documents for further information or support for autism:

• The West Berks Autism Awareness Community Facebook Page contains helpful information for everyone
   
• The National Autistic Society (NAS) have produced helpful guidance on pre-diagnosis support for adults. There is also information on all things work-related in the Employment section of the National Autistic Society's website
   
• You can find out more about Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) on the GOV.UK website, here
   
• You will find a wealth of information on the West Berkshire Directory Local Offer (SEND) for young adults, families and carers
   
• You can find easy read information and signposting to relevant organisations on the NHS 'Where to get support' webpage