The Autism Hub is for people who are, or who may be autistic. It is also a useful space for family members, staff, and professionals who support autistic people.
There are several services available via the Autism Hub and there are different services depending on your age, and if you have a learning disability.
There is lots of information available that will teach you more about what autism is or how autistic traits might affect the way somebody acts, feels, or thinks about.
Where you get an autism assessment will depend on where you live, and whether you are getting support from a community learning disability team.
If you are getting support from a learning disability team, please talk to the person who supports you from the community learning disability team and discuss whether an autism assessment might be helpful for you.
If you are not currently getting support from a learning disability team, please visit the our services page to find an autism diagnostic service near you. You can also find local services through National Autistic Society - Autism Services Directory or NHS - Find services near you.
If you are autistic, you are entitled to reasonable adjustments, a Care Act Assessment, and a Care and Treatment Review (if you are at risk of admission to a mental health hospital).
Autistic people are entitled to ‘reasonable adjustments’. This means that people working in health, social care, employment and education should change how they work with autistic people to make accessing services easier and engagement with services more successful. Helen Sanderson Associates - Person-centred practices is a useful page of information that you can share with people who support you so they know what reasonable adjustments to make.
If you have been diagnosed with autism, you are eligible for a Care Act Assessment. This assessment is completed through your local authority.
The “Transforming Care” strategy states that autistic people and people with learning disabilities should not be inappropriately admitted to hospital, and commissioners and health professionals need to explore all options to keep people at home wherever possible. This process is called a “Care and Treatment Review”.
If you are an inpatient, you are also entitled to a Care and Treatment review. You can read more in the NHS Care and Treatment Review Policy.
NHS England - Care and Treatment Review: Policy and Guidance (pdf)
There is a variety of useful resources available across our website and other sites for people with autism and those supporting people with autism.
Take a look at our easy read leaflets on how to develop your Health Action Plan.
Here you will also find some templates that you can fill in and take with you when you attend hospital appointments and admissions. There is more information on health passports for autistic people on the National Autistic Society’s website.
The Government website also provides guidance on the NHS Choice Framework, which sets out patients’ rights to choice in healthcare, where to find the information to help choices, and how to complain if choice isn’t offered.
If you are supporting an autistic person, the following links may be helpful in improving your caring role:
There are several resources that support the monthly local autism hub sessions, and you will find them listed in the sentences below:
CWP supports three Autism hubs across the Trust footprint where we provide training to our partner agencies, to autistic people, people who may be autistic and family members and carers. We run group sessions on a variety of topics on a regular basis.
Please note places are limited and will given on a first come first serve basis.
If you would like to book onto one of the sessions above please fill out the form on the Autism Hub session booking page.
There are six session resources listed below that are available for you to download:
