Today, Autistic Knowledge Development (AKD) and the National Autistic Society Scotland (NAS Scotland) have launched a report celebrating the success of Embrace Autism.

Embrace Autism is a programme of pre- and post-diagnostic support for recently diagnosed or self-identifying autistic adults across Scotland, entirely designed and directly delivered by professionals who are themselves autistic.

The programme is an equal partnership between AKD an autistic-led, not-for-profit autism think tank, and NAS Scotland, a registered charity and membership organisation. Embrace Autism is funded by Inspiring Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund (AASF).

As is shown in the report, Embrace Autism is a time-limited but highly effective intervention which supports individuals to explore their autistic identity, learn how to navigate life, and create peer connections.

It is clear from the report, that it improves autistic adults’ sense of purpose, their understanding of their autism, and most importantly how they feel about being autistic:

• 1 in 4 felt no purpose in life when they started the programme, which reduced to 1 in 10 afterwards
• Before taking part, 44% did not feel part of a community at all, which reduced to 14% after taking part
• Before taking part, 6% of participants had a clear idea of what being autistic meant to them which increased to 33% after taking part
• 33% of participants felt acceptance about being autistic and 13%felt positive about it before starting the programme, which increased to 51% and 27% respectively afterwards

Post-diagnostic support programmes like Embrace Autism are crucial in improving outcomes for autistic adults. Sadly, it is well known that autistic people face significantly poorer outcomes than the general population.

It is also very challenging, if not impossible, for autistic adults to access a diagnosis, and there are very limited or no support options available to them. This means that many autistic adults are driven into situations requiring crisis support.

Effective post-diagnostic support, like Embrace Autism, can give people the knowledge and the tools they need to live meaningful, happy and healthy lives, preventing people from experiencing crisis situations requiring acute support.

Sean Macaskill, Director of AKD, said:

‘Autistic Knowledge Development is an autism think tank led by professionals, who are also openly autistic, including myself. This Embrace Autism adult support programme is entirely designed by openly autistic professionals from our organisation. Group support delivery was led by our team members, supported by openly autistic NAS team members. This is great progress for autistic representation in services both for and about us.

Before starting the pilot phase of this support programme, 1 in 4 fellow autistic people felt that they had no purpose in life… this dropped to 1 in 10 after just six weeks of our support. Not only have we changed lives for the better, but we have saved fellow autistic lives too.

We are proud that such a well-known autism charity as NAS Scotland is working in equal partnership with Autistic Knowledge Development to deliver this essential national service for our autistic community.

‘Nothing about us, without us’ is the future for all autism services and support. Our report and its findings show this to be true. This new approach is saving lives.’

Rob Holland, Director of NAS Scotland, said:

‘Receiving a diagnosis or starting to identify as autistic can be daunting and scary for many - and there is often little or no support available. Embrace Autism tackles that deficit by offering a safe and welcoming space for adults to explore their identity and build confidence in who they are while connecting with their autistic peers.

Today's report highlights the positive impact that Embrace Autism has had on participants and we hope that it inspires and acts as a catalyst for change.

Embrace Autism owes much to its partnership between ourselves and Autistic Knowledge development which has created something very impactful. Likewise, I'd like to thank the Scottish Government for recognising the importance in this type of support and funding it accordingly via Inspiring Scotland. Their support is hugely appreciated.’