About The National Autistic Society in Scotland
Introduction
More than 1 in 100 people in Scotland are living with autism, a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It is a serious and disabling condition and we know that without the right support, it can have a profound – sometimes devastating – effect on individuals and families.
This is why the National Autistic Society Scotland is committed to providing the best services, sharing our knowledge and experiences with the entire autism community and working to improve understanding of autism and of policies affecting the services available to people with autism and their families. Across the country, we provide support, information and care at every stage of life. Whether you are affected by autism as a child, an adult or as a family, our services are here to help.
NAS work in Scotland is focussed on:
Education, delivered through our residential school in Ayrshire which offers a 24 hour fusion of care and education for 5-18 years from across Scotland and the UK, our Education Rights service which advises and connects people with legal representation when needed and Transitions Support for pupils.
Social Care services to adults, delivered through supported living, home based support, day opportunities, support to students and social support.
Employment support, delivered through our unique Prospects employment service, which offers direct support and a graduate training programme as well as training and consultancy support to employers.
Support to families, delivered through our Family Support Programme, our information service in Highland and short breaks and respite services.
One Stop Shops in Ayrshire and Aberdeen, developed as a key delivery mechanism for the Scottish Strategy for Autism and funded by the Scottish Government in a partnership with the two other national autism charities. One Stop Shops offer information, signposting and social support and are partners in local authority Autism Action Plans.
Volunteer development, developing a diverse and dynamic volunteer support base who help deliver social groups, fundraising and run local branches.
Community fundraising, supporting people in communities across Scotland to raise funds for the NAS.
Campaigns. We campaign throughout the country to create positive change in the lives of people with autism and their families. We strongly advocate partnerships between the Scottish Government, local authorities, support organisations, and crucially, people with autism to bring about life-enhancing, cost-effective autism support.
Our externally funded projects include:
- Person to Person, our mentoring service for people of 40+ years, many of whom are coming to terms with a late diagnosis of autism
- Moving Forward, preparing young adults for the world of work via groupwork and 1:1 mentoring
- Young Campaigners are young people aged 12-18 who come together to create campaigns to improve the lives of young people with autism; giving them a voice and our backing can help build a future where autism is better understood and people with autism can live the life they choose.
In addition NAS Scotland has press, policy and public affairs, and volunteer development functions and provides support to our volunteer-led branches.