National Autistic Society

Agree British equivalent of Autism Speak, promoting ABA and other disability discrimination techniques, cruelty to force disabled children behave normal. It was a very different many years ago.
Dec 3rd, 2022

I found your staff to be most helpful in providing support, guidance and advice. Which is the complete opposite to what I've experienced with disability services Plymouth!
Sep 5th, 2022

(Translated by Google) It is the mecca the fixed point for every autistic (Original) la mecca il punto fermo per ogni autistico
Nov 5th, 2021

Truly the British equivalent of Autism Speaks. If you happen to be neurodivergent, please avoid this "charity" at all costs. If you are a Neurotypical parent, please do not send your child to this organisation, they will come out worse than they came in. My particular experiences of NAS are from the North East of England branches, but I believe this isn't only limited to that area. I was offered "help" from NAS for my social anxiety and assigned a worker by the name of Sarah Wallace. Sarah was extremely unhelpful, rude and treated me in an extremely ableist manner. The aim of Sarah was to try and get me to a social group that will also train with skills and sat me down, asking me extremely personal questions within the first day of meeting and downplaying my depression as "having bad days" and the extreme abuse I've suffered as "arguments." I have no idea who in their right mind considered employing two workers to sit and fire personal and intrusive questions to anyone, especially a Neurodivergent person, however sadly being extremely intrusive and dehumanising seems the way most organisations deal with autism. Sarah many times insulted me, having autism does not equal having low intellect and pressurised me into joining a training program I was clearly not comfortable with doing. She said that if I were not to join this training program I would be "sitting around watching Netflix all day" and went as far as to turn up at my house uninvited, despite me clearly saying NO to her training. I am tired of autistic people being treated as having no autonomy, we have every right to say no and her assumptions about my personal life, using this comment as one example of many felt deeply insulting to me. Her guidance was to force me into a situation I was uncomfortable with and to make snide and unhelpful comments at my refusal. And it appears I am not the only person who has been treated very poorly by this organisation, they are known for their abuse in residential care facilities. If you search their services directory they have countless ABA practitioners listed, ABA is an extremely detrimental "therapy" and uses the same tactics as gay conversion therapy. It's very clear that this society is not an advocate for us, I personally cut off my communication with Sarah before it got worse and I fully believe it would have. NAS needs to do better, and it should not be up to us to thoroughly research every society before getting involved with it. As long as you are employing people who believe it's okay to manipulate and bully and guilt trip their clients as well as the society being complicent with abuse, you will never be an advocate for neurodiversity.
Sep 16th, 2021

Jul 14th, 2021