What it’s like to live with autism – Birkenhead News

“I’ve seen people I was talking to five minutes ago, but when they find out you have a disability, they treat you differently. Just treat me like a normal person. I am not stupid. It’s just me, but some people don’t get that.”

These are the words of Liam, a volunteer at Port Sunlight River Park, a former landfill site now a nature reserve on the banks of the River Mersey.

Like almost 4,000 people in Wirral, he is one of many who have autism and one of many supported by the charity Autism Together as a volunteer at various locations in Wirral.

Autism Together, which is based in Bromborough, is one of the organizations Wirral Council will be working with when delivering a new autism strategy.

The five-year policy, which was approved by councilors at a meeting of the adult health committee on July 18, aims to improve access to healthcare locally, improve access to housing and jobs and provide “opportunities real opportunities for everyone to experience a fulfilling and rewarding life.” “.

The charity said it was unsure if everything in the strategy could be achieved, but praised the local authority’s ambition and said even having a strategy was a step in the right direction.

According to the NHS, people with autism “may act in a different way to other people”, including difficulty communicating or understanding other people, finding things like bright lights or noises overwhelming, or becoming anxious in unfamiliar situations.

Liam currently helps out at the Riverside Cafe as well as Raby Hall Farm. He received support from Autism Together after college and has been volunteering at the park since 2016.

He told LDRS: “There have been a few bumps in the road, but if you have the right support network and the right people behind you, it’s a lot easier.

Having previously attended boarding school as well as college, he said things were difficult. He said going to college in particular “completely destroyed my mental state, not having that structure that I had for five years of school.”

Now, however, Liam can do things he never did before and now lives in supported housing. He said, “I love it. The staff is brilliant. I like my housemates. The apartments are massive. There is a lot of independence living with other people besides my mom and family. That was a change.”

Liam also helps with The Oliver McGowan Training, a campaign created following the tragic death of Oliver, who died after a number of failings were found in the way he was treated by doctors in 2016. The training is run of people with autism and became mandatory in health and social care in 2022.

Liam said: “It’s a chance to tell people about your personal experience and who you are, because so many people don’t get it. Growing up in a mainstream school, it was difficult because people don’t like differences. They find it scary. I wouldn’t say I was bullied, but people were a bit afraid of it.

“I think there’s a lot more understanding than there used to be. 50 years ago, nobody knew what it was.”

Fellow volunteer Steven was diagnosed with autism in his 30s, said: “I knew I had autism but I didn’t know what it was. I just felt a little different from the others.” A former hospital porter, he told LDRS: “It was difficult to cope. I just struggled with the changes that were happening there.”

He said, “Be a little more open-minded. Don’t be so closed minded about it. It can be quite painful,” adding: “I don’t see it any other way. We’re just trying to be ourselves. Coming here is something to do and it’s nice to help the cafe.”

The cafe offers volunteers a place to work, but also a place to meet. Volunteer Jake said the work helps him and others get out, adding: “For me I just know that all the support I’ve had is fantastic. There have been a lot of changes in the last couple of months, but once we got used to it, it was good.”

Richard Whitby, chief executive of Autism Together, said one of the biggest changes needed was speeding up assessments, as this can leave families stranded, particularly for parents, as their children move through the education system.

Mr Whitby said they had also seen increases in diagnoses after people had left school or by parents after their children had been assessed. A 2021 study found there was a 787% increase in diagnoses between 1998 and 2018 and almost half of those diagnosed on the Wirral are under 18.

While he said they had an excellent relationship with the local authority, Mr Whitby said money was an issue, adding: “All councils are stretched thin. The tipping point for our families is getting that initial assessment.”

He said funding for extra staff would be needed to speed up the process, but this could not be pushed to local authorities without more funding from the government.

However, he believes progress is being made as McGowan training is now compulsory in health and social care, but argues it should be implemented for every major employer. He said this could lead to the cost of benefits falling as more people can get into work, adding: “On the back end you will always treat people a little bit more kindly.

“Employers will be a little more accommodating for autistic people trying to get a job, and it wouldn’t cost the government anything either.”

All image credit: Ed Barnes

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