Autism Task & Finish Group
In response to local feedback, we established a 'Task and Finish' group, made up of Health and Social Care professionals, service providers, family members and carers of people with lived experience. The group met four times to exchange information, ideas, and intelligence.
Sections of the National Autism Strategy (2021) were used as a springboard for initial conversations.
The discussions highlighted the need for appropriate and timely support for adults with an ASC diagnosis. The Integrated Autism Service (IAS) provides a short-term support around what a diagnosis may mean for a person. However, because this support and signposting is limited to those adults who are newly diagnosed by that service, there is no provision for even this limited clinical support for those who were diagnosed prior to the creation of the IAS.
Recommendations include:
- Expand opportunities for joint learning with the voices of people with Autism Spectrum Condition. Continue to gather and collate information and knowledge through regular events managed by TalkBack. It may be useful initially to focus on the themes within the National Autism Strategy (2021).
- Design and embed celebrations of the many achievements and contributions which neurodivergent people make to Milton Keynes, and disseminate local examples of good practice, e.g., the work of Occupational Therapists, Making Tracks (providing pathways to work for adults with Autism,6 MK Gallery’s approaches to working with, and considering the needs of, neurodivergent people and their families, and the developer aiming to provide a high level of acoustic-proofing across the Love Wolverton redevelopment of the Agora site.
- Improve communications on research (national and local), data gathering, good practice, and support (including peer) services across all Milton Keynes public sector organisations which directly, and often, interface with people with Autism.
