A new group for autistic adults (including Aspergers) in the North East

• Make friends
• Build confidence
• Feel good about being autistic

For more information, contact Skills for People on 0191 281 8737 or information@skillsforpeople.org.uk

Your questions answered:

What is All Autistics Accepted? All Autistics Accepted is a group for autistic adults in the North East. It is a new group starting in October 2017. The group has been designed by autistic people for autistic people. We hope that this group will help autistic people to see their strengths, feel good about being autistic, and make friends with other autistic people.

Who is the group for? The group is for autistic adults, including people with Asperger Syndrome.

Do I have to live in Newcastle? You do not have to live in Newcastle to come. As long as you can get here, you are welcome to join us.

When does it start? We will meet for the first time on 4th October 2017 from 6pm – 8pm.

When will the group meet? The group will meet on the first Wednesday of every month after that. We can send you an email each month to remind you of the date of the next one.

Where will the group meet? To give people time to get used to the new group, the first three times we meet (October, November and December 2017) will be at Key House (Skills for People, 11 Tankerville Place, Jesmond, NE2 3AT). Sometimes we will meet at other places – this might be somewhere like the cinema or a restaurant. We can send you an email every month to tell you where to meet.

Do I have to come every time the group meets? No, you can come to any that you want to.

What sort of things will the group do? We will do things that help us to build confidence, understand our strengths, feel good about being autistic, and make friends. This might be doing structured activities that help us to explore our identities, or it might be just hanging out. We might do things like go to the cinema or out for a meal, if this is what people would like to do.

How much does it cost? It will cost £1 in ‘subs’ to come to a group meet-up. This is to help us cover some of the costs of things like organising and room hire. You will also need to bring money if you want to buy something from the tuck shop, or to pay for activities like going to the cinema or having a meal. If you need to bring extra money to pay for activities, we will let you know beforehand.

What if I forget my £1? We rely on honesty for our subs. This means we do not keep a record of who has paid and who hasn’t, and we will not be angry with you if you forget. You can still join in with the group. Just bring an extra £1 the next time you come.

Will food be provided? No, but When the group meets at Key House (Skills for People, 11 Tankerville Place, Jesmond, NE2 3AT) there will be tea, coffee and juice available. There is also a tuck shop at Key House.

Can I turn up on the day? Yes, you can turn up on the day. If you have never been before, we will ask you to fill in a (quick) form giving us some basic information in case we need it in an emergency.

What if I can’t come to the first meet-up? That’s fine – anyone can join at any time. What do I have to do to join? You will need to fill in a (quick) form giving us some basic information in case we need it in an emergency. You can just turn up to a meet-up and fill in this form then, or we can email a form to you and you can fill it in – you can send this back to us by email, or you can bring it with you when you come.

Will I fit in? We spend our lives trying to ‘fit in’, and this can be really stressful. This group is a place where you can just be yourself. It doesn’t matter about ‘fitting in’, everyone who comes will be made to feel welcome.

Is this group for people who are high-functioning, or for people who are low-functioning? We don’t think it is a good idea to label people as ‘high functioning’ or ‘low functioning’ because everyone has strengths (and difficulties). We want to make sure that this group is friendly and accessible to everyone on the autistic spectrum.

Can I bring someone to support me? Yes, but you might need to tell us who they are.

I’ve seen the floor plan for Key House at the back of this guide and I have noticed that all the toilets are ‘accessible’ – what does this mean, and can I use them? Skills for People believes that it is not a good idea to put lots of different labels on people. All toilets in the building (Key House) are genderneutral and accessible. This means that everyone uses the same toilets.

When I arrive at Key House, how do I get into the building? If the door is closed, press the buzzer. We know this can make some people feel anxious, so we will try to answer the door as quickly as possible.

Where is the nearest metro station to Key House? Key House is in between Jesmond and West Jesmond metro stations. I’ve never been to Jesmond before. I’m worried I won’t be able to find Key House! If you are using the metro, you can get off at either Jesmond or West Jesmond. If you use GPS on your phone, you can put in NE2 3AT and it will bring you to Key House (it takes a few minutes to walk from the metro station).

There is a picture of Key House at the back of the guide so you will know you have found the right place. If you still feel worried about this, you can have a chat with us about it by calling 0191 281 8737 or emailing information@skillsforpeople.org.uk

I’m feeling a bit anxious about coming – can I have an example of what we might do at the first meet-up? The first meet up will just be about getting to know each other. We will make sure everyone has filled in a (quick) form giving us basic information that we might need in an emergency. We will talk about what Skills for People does and we will show you where the toilets and fire exits are. Then we talk about what All Autistics Accepted is. We will ask people to think about what the ‘rules’ might be and how we can help each other to feel welcome and comfortable.

We will then just ‘hang out’ and get to know each other and the building. There will be board games and an ‘arts and crafts’ activity, but you do not have to join in if you don’t want to.

I have read all the information, but I still have more questions… You can ask more questions by phoning Skills for People on 0191 281 8737 or by emailing information@skillsforpeople.org.uk