Key autism service providers in Central Scotland

Autism Initiatives Scotland's Number 6 One-Stop Shop (OSS) service for autistic adults living in Edinburgh Lothian and Borders. There are more OSSs throughout Scotland modelled on no 6.

NAS National Autistic Society. Widely felt not responsive to what autistics actually want: it has always just chosen its own priorities without any accountability to us. Much of our grassroots has long been frustrated with it. as this letter to its trustees 2015 showed:  gizmonaut.net/blog/2015#open-letter-20150904, without any result.

ARC Glasgow is the OSS for autistic people living in Glasgow. Prospects NAS is an employment and training service for autistic people (offices in Glasgow and London).

​

Other okay autism adult groups in Scotland
Autistic Knowledge Development an autism think tank, self-led, to create innovative new projects for the autistic community, focused on life opportunities. It has developed the life choices support facility and  post-diagnostic introduction course Embrace Autism.

Triple As autism led peer support charity in Aberdeen.

( Virtuously, it used to run a reopened One-Stop Shop service there, after the NAS had closed down the original on. Sadly that too eventually folded and converted into factional rival! totally one of the autistic scene's easy-rejection bad faction, whose site does not even list Triple As)

Glasgow Autism Meetup Group Casual, chat and games group. Registration is required. Meetings for this meetup.com group are shown on the site.

​

Other autism resources

The Autism Network is a collection of independent professionals with a background in working with autistic and neurodiverse people. Each or in team contractable for autism work. A successor to the former

- ANS (Autism Network Scotland) was a Network hub and signposting organisation for services and resources available for autistic spectrumites, their families and professionals. Axed 2022, exactly because it was working so well participatively: but its team are continuing to make the well-supported case for its existence. So this link is now to its Facebook page.

BANG (Borders Additional Needs Group) Independent parent and family and carers autism group located in the Borders is separate to, and not a successor to, the former BAAGS which fitted exactly the same description and supported adults too. Unknown why BAAGS has disappeared

Strathclyde Autistic Society likewise parents, families, carers, also includes autistic people in pre and post diagnostic support and advice

PASDA Support group for parents and carers of autistic adults (over 16s) nationally, and it had a group in Edinburgh and Lothian.

IntoWork Organisation that helps people with long-term health conditions and disabilities to secure stable employment living in Edinburgh, East Lothian or Midlothian.

Autistic Groups’ Fairness Watch Organised by an ELAS member, following issues of injustice encountered by people on the autistic spectrum, particularly in the workings of groups.

AAUK (Autism Action UK) UK autism rights campaigning group founded by Kevin Healey. The link has disappeared but its activities are still googlable.

The Spectrum magazine, now online, written by autistic people, published through NAS but written independently of it. (new name since 2018)

Wrong Planet Large global AS online forum. Free, but registration required.

ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network) US network which advances the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. Founded by Ari Ne'eman.

Innovative Library Programs: Unlocking Potential a degree article from the US suggesting autistic-friendly programs and adaptations for public libraries.

David Seagrave portfolio The social philosophy and reflective short stories of a late ELAS member.

Aspie Village UK/Ireland AS online forum. Free, but registration required. Much diminished from what it began as, by the bad move of deciding that "a moderator's decision is final and must not be questioned."

Autscape 3 day annual conference centred round autistic peoples' needs and interests.

Equality Act 2010

Jessica Kingsley Publishers Books on autism and related conditions.

Health.com a web resource that provides whole-life advice and inspiration and sells emergency  medical alert systems, i.e. calling buttons. Of interest for older or less physically able spectrumites.

Register Office Near Me Added on request, a British-wide directory site for registry offices. Folks may have had trouble finding them.

Registry Office UK Added on request, a British-wide helpful resource site for locating local registry offices, that looks like the site by registry offices themselves. Choose between them.

​

​