Autism Acceptance Week 2022
This week is Autism Acceptance Week, a campaign aiming to raise awareness and acceptance of autism.
Hillcrest Futures supports many people with autism across our services. These include:
– Housing support and care at home services
– Our activities hub
– At college and university by our student support service
To mark the week, we shared some testimonials from people supported by our Alexander Street service in Dundee.
Daniel
“My autism helps me focus on things like buses and trains. I memorise timetables and know all the different types of trains and buses. It makes me proud that my support workers often ask me when the next bus or train is to a destination.
“A couple of years ago I was supported to go to the bus depot to see my name on a bus. It made me feel proud that a bus was named after me. I was also given a volunteering job at the Dundee Museum of Transport which I have enjoyed a lot but unfortunately I haven’t been there for a long time because of Covid-19. The boss of the unit Anne took me to the fire station which I enjoyed a lot. It was one of my best days.
“I often become anxious when trying new things or if a family member becomes unwell. I have strategies to help me cope and talking to my support workers helps me stay calm. Staff are very good at talking to me, listening to what I have to say and they help me see things more clearly. They help me to feel safe.
“Recently my support workers supported me to achieve independent travel. I started by going for rolls at my local shop and now I go to nearby restaurants independently. Doing this has given me so much confidence but I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement from the staff who support me. They have made me less scared to try new things.”
Aaron
“My support workers help me with my routines. I like staff to know my meal times. When I go out for lunch I like staff to also eat or have a drink when I’m in the restaurant as I don’t like eating alone.
“When I go out to clubs, college and when showering, I feel safe to know staff are with me in case I have a seizure.
“I like talking to staff about my interests. I love football, especially Rangers, and I like watching the matches on TV. My support workers keep a note of when the games are on and give me a copy of the games so I never miss a match. I like to show staff and visitors my football mural.”
To find out more about our autism services, click here.