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In developing the Autism strategy, North Tyneside Council worked hard for over a year to bring together people, families, professionals, and services to help us to understand what we are getting right and what needs to change.
Residents mapped out what is in place, how it works, what people value and what gets in the way of providing great support to people and families when they need it.
This provided a great basis to work from and a fundamental understanding of what needs to change. Together we have identified six priorities that are grouped into three areas:
- Awareness raising – ensuring services and communities are aware, and able to make reasonable adjustments
- Good support – clarity of referral routes, dedicate more to early identification and awareness and support NHS colleagues in delivering shorter waiting times for diagnosis
- Understanding yourself – helping autistic people and their families have a good life
- Be listened to - all people and families to be supported at the earliest opportunity, and we want services to work in partnership with people and families so people can have happy, healthy, fulfilled lives in communities
- Support through life changes - autistic adults may need support through different life changing events, such as starting work or college; moving to a new house; new relationships or changes to support.
- Inclusive communities – helping North Tyneside to be an autism friendly area.
These priorities will be our focus for the life of this strategy and move us firmly towards a better future for autistic people in North Tyneside.