Council-supported autism friendship group to launch

A NEW autism support and friendship group for adults is set to open in North Tyneside.

North Tyneside Council announced via X that the Cedarwood Centre in North Shields will host a monthly ‘Autism Better Together’ group from Friday, April 26. The sessions will be open from 9.30am until noon.

This is the third such group in North Tyneside, with monthly groups at Wallsend Customer First Centre and the Oxford Centre in Longbenton.

Autism Better Together is also supported by North Tyneside Council.

Deputy mayor of North Tyneside, Carl Johnson said: “It is great to see Autism Better Together expand their offering to even more communities in North Tyneside.

“It gives the autism community somewhere to get support, socialise and feel part of the community.”

According to the NHS, autism is a condition that can affect people’s ability to communicate and interact with people, including finding it difficult to understand how other people think and feel. In addition, it can be common for people with autism to become overwhelmed by noise, lights and unfamiliar environments. Other symptoms include avoiding eye contact and being uncomfortable with touch.

According to North Tyneside Council statistics, out of a population of around 205,985, approximately 2,265 people in the borough are autistic.

Nationally, more than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum.

Council documents state that the overall numbers of people with autism spectrum disorder are expected to increase over the next five to 15 years.