Autism Services in Scotland

The teams at Autism Initiatives take the time to get to know each person properly, including their interests, strengths, worries and their hopes for the future. We then work with people to provide meaningful, responsive and effective support.

We stay in touch, regularly review the support, and adjust the service we provide as needed. Our aim is always the same and that is to help autistic people feel more confident, more connected and more in control of their own lives. We strive to support the person to achieve their best quality of life.

We also work closely with families. We are here to offer guidance and reassurance when it is needed.

In a variety of locations in Scotland, we run community One Stop Shops, outreach services, supported housing and community resource centres.

In addition, we deliver Late Diagnosis Support across the whole of Scotland – face to face from our basis and remotely for those further a field or who prefer to access support in this way.

Our one stop shops are very relaxed, friendly community spaces for autistic people. They’re places where you can get help and support with from a trained and skilled mixed neurotype team.

You can meet other autistic and AuDHD people, learn new skills, or simply spend time somewhere that feels like a safe space.

Number 3 supports autistic adults aged 16 and over living in Perthshire and Tayside.

It is a warm and welcoming space spread across three floors with quiet areas, activity rooms, computers and comfortable social spaces.

Drop-in sessions

• Monday: 2pm to 7pm
• Thursday: 2pm to 7pm
• One Saturday each month: 1pm to 4pm

Activities that run on a regular basis include creative sessions, baking, board games, photography, music, discussion groups and community outings. All in-house activities are free.

For those who receive a diagnosis later in life, Number 3 also has a supportive group where people can explore what their diagnosis means to them and talk openly with others who understand.

Number 6 works alongside autistic people who are aged 16 and over, who have a formal diagnosis and live in Edinburgh, the Lothians or the Scottish Borders.

Drop-in session timings

• Tuesday: 1pm to 6pm
• Wednesday: 1pm to 4pm
• Thursday: 1pm to 6pm
• Friday: 12pm to 3pm
• Third Saturday of each month: 12pm to 4pm

People can use all of the social areas, the kitchen space and computers, or join in with activities.

One-to-one appointments (up to 3 sessions) focus on practical problem-solving. This can look like preparing for interviews that are coming up, understanding housing applications, applying for certain benefits, managing education or talking through mental health and relationship concerns.

The Highland One Stop Shop works alongside autistic adults aged 16 and over across the Highland and offers a large activity space, a lounge, computer access, and a small library of autism-specific resources.

Drop-in session timings

• Tuesday and Friday: 12pm to 3pm
• There are also monthly drop-ins in Caithness and Lochaber.

Activities may change throughout the year at HOSS and will typically include creative projects, music, gaming, quizzes, film nights and local outings. Most sessions are free, with small costs only where external trips are involved.

One-on-one appointments are available to talk through work, benefits, housing, relationships, education or any specific challenges.

Receiving an autism diagnosis later in life can bring a sense of relief and clarity for some, and for others, there can also be uncertainty, grief for missed understanding and lots of questions about what this means. Our Late Diagnosis Support Programme has been created to provide space for those conversations in a way that feels respectful, supportive and also grounded in lived experience.

The development of the programme has been led by autistic staff and shaped directly by the people who attend it.

The programme runs across seven sessions. There is space to explore identity, relationships, work, sensory experiences and what support might be helpful moving forward. Just as importantly, there is also time to connect with others who have received a diagnosis in their teenage or adult years. Many people tell us that meeting others who share similar experiences helps them feel less isolated and more confident about the future.

Online groups meet on Zoom and are open to autistic adults across Scotland. Sessions currently run on:

• Mondays at 5 pm
• Tuesdays at 5:30 pm
• Wednesdays at 4 pm
• Thursdays at 1 pm.

For those who prefer to attend in person, groups are also available in Edinburgh and the Lothians, the Scottish Borders, Tayside and Highland. We keep numbers small so that everyone has the opportunity to take part in a way that feels comfortable.

We are delighted that we have received funding through Scotland’s Government’s Adult Autism Support Fund to roll this programme out across Scotland – so that everyone, no matter where they live, can access the Late Diagnosis group and programme.

If you are interested in joining the programme, we will ask you to complete a short registration form. This includes your name, age, email address, ethnicity, gender, council area and postcode. As part of our funding requirements, we also ask for consent to share anonymised data with the Scottish National Statistics.

We know parents and carers often have questions about coping with change, future planning, routines, friendships and work or school attendance. We provide supportive, safe spaces and time to talk these things through.

Before someone begins using our services, we spend time getting to know them properly and will also continue meeting with the families regularly, with the consent of the person using the service, to review progress and adapt support when needed.

We can also provide guidance around welfare benefits, housing, funding and other practical matters that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Aswell as our One Stop Shops, we provide community-based services in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Perth and Kinross, Tayside, Borders and Highland.

Some autistic people attend our Community Resource Centre during the day to take part in structured activities and build skills. Others will receive outreach support in their own homes or in the community. Support workers may work alongside someone to help with attending appointments, developing new hobbies, building independent living skills, or becoming more confident when travelling independently.

We also provide supported housing. Autistic people live in their shared property with staff available throughout the day and night. Support may include help with cooking, cleaning, managing money and finances, attending appointments and building routines.

If you or someone you care about would like to know more about our autism charity services in Scotland, please get in touch. We would be very happy to talk through the next steps with you and answer any queries you might have about what we can offer.