Pat came to Autism West Midlands after calling our helpline to seek support around her recent autism diagnosis.
Our helpline spoke to Pat about what support she felt she needed, and it was agreed that she should refer herself in to receive some one-to-one support.
Pat told us that she had been affected by depression and anxiety for many years and that this had been a barrier for her to make friends and meet other people. Pat told us she wanted to learn more about autism and how it affects her.
Pat was able to explore this with an Autism Specialist Advisor and together they formed a plan around ways in which Pat would feel more able to visit places that previously had felt very daunting.
During support Pat learnt about her sensory needs and difficult feelings caused by crowded places. Pat discussed that she now realised that the difficulties she was experiencing with depression and anxiety were because of challenges she was facing with being autistic.
Pat wanted to know more about all aspects of autism and so was able to be placed on “Autism Confident”, which is a group programme.
Here Pat was able to meet other autistic adults and develop her own knowledge and self-awareness, Pat feedback
“I have learnt a lot about autism and how it affects me. I feel much more positive about things now that I understand why I might feel anxious in certain situations”.
Pat has also been attending a social group and has met other autistic people. Pat attends monthly and has started to make friends with some of the group members.
**To protect anonymity names have been changed**
