Many comments and memes on social media just now tell us that autistic people are fine with isolation and because we spend our lives practicing ‘social distancing’ it doesn’t impact on us - in fact we enjoy it. We feel it is important to stress here that many autistic people are as uncomfortable and disturbed with the lack of social contact we’re experiencing just now as anyone else.
All human beings need a sense of community, a sense of belonging. That autistic people spend so much of our lives without those things, doesn’t mean we don’t need them to thrive. It’s notable that the two autistic-led charities in Scotland, Triple As - Autism and SWAN: Scottish Women's Autism Network, are all about peer support for autistic people. We create opportunities for autistic people to meet and socialise with others, to share interests and lived experiences.
Joining the autistic community is often regarded as one of the best things about knowing that you are autistic, being able to communicate simply and easily, meeting others who socialise in similar ways to you, sharing interests and humour. Many members of Triple As and SWAN have reported that the sense of well-being they feel after attending a group or going along to a meet up is life-changing. There are feelings of inclusion and community, validation, improved confidence and self-belief. It can be the beginning of self acceptance. People tell us that their partners and children actively encourage them to go to SWAN meet-ups or Triple As activities because of the positive effect socialising with other autistic people has on them.
More generally, the reality that socialising might exhaust us and that we need to take ‘time out’ after, does not mean we don’t like socialising. It’s not about not caring about other humans, it’s about pacing how much connecting with other humans we ‘do’. Many of us are extroverted introverts, - people who love being around people, giving and sharing and touching and hugging, as long as we get to retreat to our own space when we need to.
If you are used to attending groups or meet ups and these have suddenly stopped, there can be a sense of loss for both the members of the groups and those facilitating them. Change is hard for all people, for autistic people, probably especially so. Moreover, for many autistic people living on their own, much of their social interaction if not all of it, may be through going to work, the shops, attending activities or groups. Many do not have ‘friends’ or social circles and are currently experiencing quite severe isolation.
Both Triple As and SWAN understand the importance of community and are committed to ensuring our members continue to have opportunities to socialise. We know that autistic people need social contact and support, possibly more so now that ever. Triple As and SWAN are continuing to hold groups and meet ups on line and through apps. As the memes suggest, check in on your extroverted friends as they won’t be doing so well, but check in on your autistic friends and relatives too. They may not be loving the lockdown as much as the internet might be leading you to believe.
The staff and volunteers at Triple As, SWAN and One Stop Shop Aberdeen ...
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Mary Baird Sommerville
5 days ago
I put off going food shopping as long as I could. I braced myself today and drove to asda but the sight of the queue had me straight back in the car. I'm just going to have to ration what I have .I thought I was coping on with the lockdown and my house move being postponed. Now I'm shaking coz I can't get my vegan cheese... ...
Celebrating with our autistic colleagues! World Autism Awareness Day.Autistic people are autistic all throughout their lives, every second of every day. We know that if we want to learn more about a minority group, the best way to do that is to speak to members of that group and the autistic community is no different. Those of us employed here at the OSSAberdeen have several lifetimes worth of experience of being autistic and are always happy to help others learn more about and understand autism better.
One of the most frequent pieces of feedback we receive when delivering training, providing 1:1 support or visiting groups is the value of hearing from the lived experiences of autistic people. Autistic people can highlight aspects of their daily lives that many others had not even considered.
Lived experiences are valid and powerful. We all know what it is like to imagine how something will be – having worked with children for a long time before becoming a parent I naively thought I had a good idea about what parenting would be, but the reality of what parenting is compared to what I expected is, of course, very different! It is one thing to imagine what something is like, it is an entirely different thing to actually walk in the shoes of someone who experiences it. So speak with autistic people, follow them on social media, watch the videos they make, read books and articles by autistic people. We are all vastly different in many ways, but there are reasons why we all have the same diagnosis – we share many of the same lived experiences. Locally in Aberdeen we have the One Stop Shop Aberdeen which is part of Aberdeen Autism Association, and also SWAN: Scottish Women's Autism Network which are all autistic led. Here is a very small selection of autistic people and autist led organisations on Facebook we suggest you check out too:
Agony Autie, Autistic Not Weird, Neurodivergent Rebel, Growing Up Aspie - A Comic By Nathan McConnell, Kristy Forbes - Autism & Neurodiversity Support Specialist, Beth Wilson - Artist, Autistic Inclusive Meets Community Group AIM, Yenn Purkis Neurodiversity page, The Autistic Cooperative, Autistic, Typing, Michael McCreary - AspieComic, AUsome Ireland, The Autistic OT, Labels Go On Soup Cans, Autism Is A Diagnosis. Leah Taylor Official., Haley Moss, Kayla Smith, Lydia X. Z. Brown - Autistic Hoya, NeuroClastic and so very many more.
Marion@OSSAberdeen ...
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Secretary-General's Message
On World Autism Awareness Day, we recognize and celebrate the rights of persons with autism. This year’s observance takes place in the midst of a public health crisis unlike any other in our lifetimes — a crisis that places persons with autism at disproportionate risk as a result of the coronavirus and its impact on society.
Persons with autism have the right to self-determination, independence and autonomy, as well as the right to education and employment on an equal basis with others. But the breakdown of vital support systems and networks as a result of COVID-19 exacerbates the obstacles that persons with autism face in exercising these rights. We must ensure that a prolonged disruption caused by the emergency does not result in rollbacks of the rights that persons with autism and their representative organizations have worked so hard to advance.
Universal human rights, including the rights of persons with disabilities, must not be infringed upon in the time of a pandemic. Governments have a responsibility to ensure that their response includes persons with autism. Persons with autism should never face discrimination when seeking medical care. They must continue to have access to the support systems required to remain in their homes and communities through times of crisis, instead of facing the prospect of forced institutionalization.
We all have a role to play in ensuring that the needs of people who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 are met during this difficult period. Information about precautionary measures must be provided in accessible formats. We must also recognize that when schools employ online teaching, students with non-standard ways of learning may be at a disadvantage. The same applies to the workplace and working remotely. Even in these unpredictable times, we must commit to consulting persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, and ensuring that our non-traditional ways of working, learning, and engaging with each other, as well as our global response to the coronavirus, are inclusive of and accessible to all people, including persons with autism.
The rights of persons with autism must be taken into account in the formulation of all responses to the COVID-19 virus. On World Autism Awareness Day, let us stand together, support each other and show solidarity with persons with autism.
— António Guterres ...
World Autism Awareness Day - EN | United Nations
www.un.org
Autism and other forms of disability are part of the human experience that contributes to human diversity. As such, the United Nations has emphasized the need to mainstream disability in the Organization's development agenda. 
