What to expect when
you access our services.
How to get in contact
You can contact us via email at help@autismunderstanding.scot or message us on Facebook or you may be referred to us by a third party. Whichever way you get in touch, try not to worry about how formal you are being or whether you are using the ‘right’ language or saying the ‘right’ thing. We speak to a huge variety of people, using various methods of communication and we are pretty much impossible to offend! All our front-facing staff members are autistic and have experienced anxiety over communication at some point. We really do understand and are non-judgemental.
Who can contact us?
We offer information and support to a range of people including autistic adults and teenagers, parents or family members of autistic children/teenagers/adults and professionals working with autistic people. If your query is autism-related, there’s a good chance we can help you or signpost you to the relevant people.
What happens after you have contacted us?
Unless you specify that you would like to be contacted another way, one of our staff members will reply using the same means you used to contact us (i.e. if you email us we will email back and if you contact us through Facebook Messenger we will reply through Messenger).
At this point we might suggest setting up a one-to-one meeting if this fits with your reason for contacting us. However, it is not something we will ever insist on and we are happy to keep communication text-based if this is preferred.
What happens at a one-to-one?
Face-to-face one-to-ones usually take place in our offices at Regent Quay. We can provide directions to find us (and a picture guide to getting from the bus stop to us is available on our website). We provide a relaxed and non-judgemental atmosphere with refreshments and stim objects.
When face-to-face meetings are not possible or not preferred, we can hold one-to-ones via a video call on Zoom (and can also use Teams or Skype). We are happy to set up the meeting and send instructions for using Zoom for anyone who is unsure or hasn’t used it before. Phone one-to-ones are also available if video calls are not possible or uncomfortable.
When we meet with a service user for the first time, we tend to have an informal chat to see how we can help. Some people who come to us have a clear idea of what they would like to gain from our meeting, which is great and something we welcome. Some people who come to us are unsure of what we offer and what they might gain from talking to us, which is also great and something we welcome!
Some of the things we might discuss during a one-to-one are: general information about autism, hobbies and special interests (yours and ours!), sensory needs, where to access other support, reasonable adjustments in schools and/or the workplace, how to access an autism assessment, and anything else that might be relevant.
No two one-to-one sessions are the same, though there are often common themes. The number of one-to-ones required also varies a lot. Sometimes we speak to someone once and can provide everything they want in one go. Other times we have a number of sessions over the course of weeks, months, or even years. We don’t have a cap on the number of times someone can access our services so please don’t hesitate to get in contact, even if we have helped you in the past.
