Support for Autistic Adults

Autism is a spectrum condition, not a disorder. Over 1 in every 100 people in the U.K. is autistic (National Autistic Society), and each autistic person will experience the world in different ways.

Autism Diagnosis

Tameside and Glossop’s Adult Autism Assessment Service welcome self-referrals. If you wish to discuss diagnosis with your GP please do, but your referral does not need to come from your GP.

Visit their page linked below for information on what to expect from an assessment, patient stories, how to make a referral and much more.

Post-diagnosis packs are also provided by this service.

Find out more

Autism Hospital Passport

‘My Hospital Passport’ is a resource for autistic people who might need hospital treatment. The passport is designed to help autistic people to communicate their needs to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

When you have completed your passport, take it with you whenever you visit hospital and show it to the healthcare professionals you meet.

When admitted to hospital for treatment overnight, or for a long stay, you should give the passport to the healthcare professional responsible for your care, and ask them to make sure the passport is kept with your patient notes.

Passport templates

Connecting for Support

Tameside Autism Panel (TAP)

TAP is an online meeting for autistic people and those who support them in Tameside. The consultation group discuss topics raised by members. This groups feedback links to the Tameside Autism Partnership Board.

The group meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month 12:00pm– 1:30pm via Microsoft Teams.

To get involved please email tap@tameside.gov.uk

Tameside Autism Network Bulletin (TAN)

The Tameside Autism Network bulletin consists of regular emails with information that can help you to find resources and opportunities.

The bulletins share information on anything that might be helpful for autistic people, their friends and supporters looking for support or opportunities in Tameside; times of groups, current surveys and research, events and resources that may be helpful.

TAN Monthly In-Person Meeting

The Tameside Autism Network is a peer led support group that meets at Academy HQ in Stalybridge on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Below are two videos showing the routes to Academy HQ and a look around the building.

To find out more about TAN, email tan@tameside.gov.uk

Tameside Autism Carers Group (TAC)

Tameside Autism Carers (TAC) is a peer-led group meeting for parents and Carers of neurodivergent people, and members of the autistic community.

TAC is currently postponed, please check back for updates.

For more information, please email tan@tameside.gov.uk

Tameside Autism In Mind (TAIM)

TAIM takes place every other Tuesday at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop MIND, Katherine Street, Ashton from 4pm until 6pm.

For more information call 0161 330 9223, or email peersupport@togmind.org

Finding Academy HQ for TAN

The Tameside Autism Network (TAN) is held at Academy HQ on Grosvenor Street SK15 1SD in Stalybridge.

The videos below show two routes from the bus station to Academy HQ, there’s also a quick look around the building.

Reasonable Adjustment Card

The GM Autism and Learning Disability Reasonable Adjustment in Acute Settings group have developed a small credit card sized card to ask for brief adjustments to ease the transit through medical intervention/support.

The card would be ideal for use in reception areas where it is unlikely that staff would have time to read a longer document.

The group has developed 4 versions of this card, which can be found below.

One side is for adjustments needed to help you remain calm, and the other side is to communicate a more urgent need when you feel distressed and needs people to understand this, and to know how they can help.

It is strongly advised that if you have a passport, you should mention it on this card as your passport is likely to contain more detail.

For information that the NHS has published in relation to people with learning disabilities going into hospital click here. Some of this information is useful for autistic people who do not have a learning disability as well.

Download a range of cards below.

Card for an autistic person

Card for a person who prefers the term person with autism or person with an ASC

Card for an autistic person left blank to personalise

Card for a person with learning disability left blank to personalise