Issue 11. February 2021. WHAT’S NEW NEWS!

Hello and welcome to the official monthly newsletter of Derbyshire County’s Information and Advice Service! If you have a question about Autism or a problem or challenge you are currently facing, want to find out what Autism services and support exist in Derbyshire and how to access them, or are an organisation who require information about training and awareness raising, then we are the service for you! Our goal is to be the hub for everything Autism related in Derbyshire.

Autism Alliance. Citizens Advice Mid Mercia are currently supporting EU citizens who live and work in the UK to gain ‘settled The Autism Alliance will be holding a special status’ - something that is now necessary owing to the event on Wednesday 24th February 2021, 3-4pm. UK leaving the EU. If you do not hold a UK passport Join us for a Family Q&A and Open Discussion and are a EU, EEA or Swiss Citizen living in the UK, you session for families living with Autism. If you need to gain settled status to protect your rights. would like to attend, please email [email protected] They can help you now to complete your application or call 01332 228 790. completely free of charge. Please call 01827 909101.

This Month It’s: Dignity Action Day When: 1st February 2021 Purpose: Dignity Action Day #DAD2021 is an annual opportunity for health and social care workers and members of the public to uphold the right to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people who use care services. What you can do: Dignity Action Day gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people’s rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people receiving care. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives. Visit https://www.dignityincare.org.uk/Dignity-in-Care-events/Dignity_Action_Day/ to become a dignity champion and find out what else you can do to support this great cause.

On the 31st December 2020, England entered another full lockdown, you can still contact us for further advice. Autism Alliance Minutes – Wednesday 20th January 2021, 3-4pm If you missed the Autism Alliance meeting in January, here’s a short summary of what was discussed:

Welcome and Zoom etiquette Introduction to Autism Information and Advice and staff and to Living Well With Autism and staff.

Presentation by Felicity Rosslyn – family and relationship therapist– on women and girls and the experience of females living with Autism. Felicity’s presentation covered a variety of topics, including: the history of considering Autism to be a ‘male condition’ and the misdiagnosis of women with a variety of mental health conditions instead of Autism (such as generalised , depression, PTSD, etc); ways for women to self-manage their Autism and their emotional responses, as well as relevant strategies such as retreating to a safe space to regulate; the usage of TV programmes, films and novels to help learn the ‘games’ of society; the recognition of intense emotions and being on ‘high alert’ as being part of the primitive brain and that these responses can be controlled and once achieved, a person can gain a tremendous amount of mental strength; the usage of apps and technology to help manage and regulate emotions and anxiety (such as focusing on controlling your breathing and heartrate); and the strategy of being sceptical of intense emotions or feelings and allowing time to process them.

This led to lots of discussion around the difference between retreating to regulate or protect versus hiding your Autism, when and where you decide to openly reveal your Autism and to which groups of people, the idea of presenting different versions of yourself in different social settings and the switching of roles and personas, how masking and using compensatory methods can be exhausting and the need for recuperation and space to be your ‘true self’, the sensation of being a ‘happy self’, as well as what being ‘the best version of yourself’ means and how to achieve this.

Presentation by Lynn Webster – digital learning coordinator for Citizens Advice Mid Mercia– on the various applications her service can help people complete, such as: Blue Badge applications, single discretionary discount, warm home discount, COVID fuel allowance applications, EUSS applications for non-UK citizens, and much more.

Resources discussed: - Attwood and Grandin et al,‘ Asperger’s and Girls’ (content contributed by 9 experts) - Attwood, Evans and Lesko,‘ Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth’ - Rudy Simone, ‘: Empowering Females with ’ - Milton, ‘The Double Empathy Problem’, via The National Autistic Society – https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and- guidance/professional-practice/double-empathy - Sarah Hendrickx – author in the field with lived experience and independent Autism specialist - Francesca Happe on Radio 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000m5lh Service details: - Autism Information and Advice,https://www.autisminformationservice.org.uk/ - Living Well With Autism,https://www.livingwellwithautism.org.uk/ - Digital Learning Coordinator, Citizens Advice Mid Mercia, 07960433977 or email [email protected]

Useful to Know: UPDATED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT Mental health – Derbyshire Federation of Mental Health, free mental health services, Tel: 01629 733916 or 01298 212602. Derbyshire 24/7 Mental Health Helpline and Support Service, Tel: 0800 028 0077. Rethink Mental Illness, Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service, Tel:01773 734989. Caring – Derbyshire Carers Association, free support for carers, Tel: 01773 833 833. Personal budget – Derbyshire Independent Living (with P3), support for living independently and managing your own finances, Tel: 01773 742051. Employment – , specialist employment support, Tel: 0114 384 0284. Health - Live Life Better Derbyshire, support for making healthy lifestyle changes, Tel: 0800 085 2299. Thriving lives - Derbyshire Autism Services, 1:1 & 2:1 mentoring & support for personal development, Tel: 01773 741 221.

Our Contact Details: Help-line: 01332 228790 Email: [email protected] Website: www.autisminformationservice.org.uk