Autism

The Autism Resources Co-ordination Hub (ARCH) offers a range of services and can signpost you to other autism-related support both locally and nationally.

This service has been set up to support people of all ages affected by autism, as well as their parents/carers.

Our intention is to work with all our autism partners in the community to help them design, deliver and promote autism-friendly services which will support the needs of those affected by autism within their own communities.

ARCH has also produced a suite of public information leaflets:

• A Brief Guide for Autistic Peple, their Parent Carers and all Autism Community Stakeholders
• My Autism Profile
• Me Myself and Autism
• Me, Myself and Autism for under 12's
• Autism and the Female Presentation
• Autism and Menstrual Health

If you would like a copy of any of these leaflets please contact ARCH.

You can download a copy of South Lanarkshire's Five Year Local Autism Action Plan - Transacting to Transforming or our Easy Read version.

In fulfilling ARCH’s commitment to informing, collaborating and empowering our autism community members, please find below links which contain very important information relating to our autism community and the way forward post COVID.

The first is in relation to the ‘My Rights, My Say’ advocacy organisations which have been established to ensure our children and Young People are involved in decisions taken about their lives in a real and enduring way.

The Scottish Government have also established The Young Ambassadors for Inclusion who are a selected group of Young People from 26 out of 32 Local Authorities invited to make contributions to all policy changes and reviews including the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan.

The fourth link is to the Feeley Independent Review of Adult Social Care, and the announcement by the Scottish Government of a £20million Community Change Fund to address the practice throughout Scotland of delayed discharges and out of area placements for those autistic /LD adults with complex support needs.

The Locator tool, an online resource designed and introduced by Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire for searching for third sector activities can also provide some useful resources.