There are some organisations who can offer information and advice to children and young people who are neurodiverse. You can find information on some of them below.
Resources
The National Autistic society can give advice, support, help and guidance on being autistic. You can find some useful information aimed at children and young people through the link below.
Resources for autistic teenagers (autism.org.uk)
If you are autistic and transitioning from school, further or higher education to adult life and need support you can find useful information on this here
The National Autistic Society have directory giving information on – independent and supported living, employment, schools, social groups and legal support. You can find all this information in the Autism Services Directory
Videos
What is Autism? – video from National Autistic Society
Autism and Mental Health
Autism is not a mental health problem, but autistic people can have good and bad mental health like anyone else. There are things that can be done to help – talk to people and seek professional help if you need it.
Research suggests that many autistic people also have a mental health problem like depression or anxiety. There are many possible reasons for this, including:
- Negative attitudes from other people. Non-autistic people may not understand or accept your differences. You may be more likely to experience stigma, discrimination, trauma and loneliness. All these experiences contribute to mental health problems.
- Differences in interacting with the world. You may have to navigate places which don’t meet your sensory, processing or communication needs. For example, you may find public transport stressful, or have difficulty with phone calls and some types of forms.
- Some experiences of autism overlap with symptoms of mental health problems. This can mean that experiences of autism are mistaken for mental health problems. Misdiagnosis can make it harder to get the right help. And this can contribute to stress, anxiety and depression.
- Barriers to support. It can be difficult getting the right support, both for autism and for mental health problems. For example:
It can take a long time to get an autism diagnosis, especially as an adult.
Mental health and social care services may not understand how best to support you.
Some people tell us that services don’t take responsibility for their care, and you may get passed between different services. These barriers can affect your mental health. (Information taken from the MIND website)
For more information on autism and mental health follow the links below.