Across the UK there are approximately 500,000 people who are diagnosed as having an autism spectrum disorder. Yet for many people, autism remains a condition of which they have little understanding. Here, CIC’s Autism Lead and North East


What is autism?


Service Manager, Stuart Dryden, gives us an overview of what autism is and CIC’s approach to supporting people with the condition. CIC’s autism services


"Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects a person’s communication skills and how they understand and relate to the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means that whilst people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder share certain difficulties, the degree to which someone is affected by the condition varies from person to person.


There are three main areas in which people who have autism are affected, known as the ‘Triad of Impairments’.


These difficulties are: • Language and Communication – Processing and retaining verbal information and understanding body language and gestures.


• Social and Emotional – Making friendships, working cooperatively and managing unstructured parts of the day.


• Flexibility of thought (imagination) – Coping with changes in routine or unfamiliar situations, understanding other peoples thoughts and feelings.


Many people with autism are able to lead independent lives with minimal assistance, whilst others with more acute needs can require intensive support.


Strothers Road resident Patsy Mahoney (left) with Support Worker, Amy Crawford


At CIC, we support almost 200 people with needs across the autism spectrum, including many children. We support people with autism conditions to live independently in their own homes, to access their communities and to take part in day services and supported employment.


We recognise that everybody with autism is an individual and therefore needs to be supported in a person-centred way. This means that we work in partnership with the person, their family and a range of health care professionals to develop


a comprehensive understanding of their needs and tailor our approach accordingly to meet them.


We have had great success supporting people who have autism to achieve the things that are important to them, such as spending time with their family, learning new skills, going on holiday and gaining employment.


A Specialist Understanding One way that CIC seeks to deliver innovative and excellent autism services is by working in partnership with universities and advisory bodies such


14 | You First | www.c-i-c.co.uk


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