New strategy broadens support to more autistic children and young people

Ambitious about Autism has unveiled a new strategy to guide its work over the next three years.

Originally founded to offer autistic children and young people an excellent education, the new strategy represents a significant step-change. 

Strategic goals across five areas of focus including health and wellbeing, employment, citizenship and family and relationships will broaden the support on offer with the expansion of successful programmes and the launch of new initiatives.

Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, Jolanta Lasota, explains:

“In developing this strategy we’ve listened to autistic children and young people, parents and carers, our staff and supporters. These conversations reinforced what we, and others in our sector already know. The last eighteen months have been extremely hard for many autistic children, young people and their families.

“We see the unnecessary barriers facing autistic young people, the opportunities out of reach, and the consequences of being pushed to the margins. A perfect storm of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, reduced resources and an ongoing lack of understanding of autism means the next three years are critical.”

Plans to expand existing services will include opening new specialist schools and colleges starting with a new free school in Kingston upon Thames. 

Through its Employ Autism programme, the charity will work with educators to develop better careers education for autistic young people and through its work with employers will create more work experience opportunities. 

A post-diagnostic support service for autistic young people will be piloted. The charity will also campaign for better support during and after diagnosis; equal access to diagnosis for all young people across gender, ethnicity and background; and improved waiting times.

“We should all be astounded and furious at the status quo facing autistic children” says Lasota. “That 56% of parents say their autistic child has been ‘unofficially’ excluded from school at some point; that fewer than 22% of autistic people are in full or part time employment, the lowest of all disabled groups; and that the average life expectancy for an autistic person is just 54 years. This simply isn’t good enough. We stand with autistic children and young people to push for bold change.

“Our new strategy is as much about shifting society so it works better for autistic young people as it is about the provision of support. The movement for change has already begun but it’s not nearly fast enough. Small changes, acceptance and understanding, the right support at the right time, that’s all we ask.”