Autistic people left stranded during pandemic, report warns

Autistic people and their families have been left “completely stranded” during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report which describes the impact as “devastating”.

The National Autistic Society said the responses they received from 4,232 autistic people and their family members shows that Covid-19 and the lockdown deepened well-established existing inequalities.

Autistic people in June and July were six times more likely to have low life satisfaction and seven times more likely to be chronically lonely compared to the general public, the report said.

It found that nine out of ten autistic people worried about their mental health during lockdown and one in five family members had to

reduce work due to caring responsibilities.

The disruption, uncertainty and pace of change triggered huge levels of anxiety and for some was made worse by the withdrawal of support from social care, education and mental health services.

The research was led by the National Autistic Society, as part of a project funded by the Pears Foundation, with a number of other autism charities supporting it including Ambitious about Autism, Autistica, Scottish Autism and the Autism Alliance, which is a coalition of 17 autism charities.

The charities are calling on all four governments in the UK to create an action plan to protect the 700,000 autistic people in the country, and their three million family members and carers, from possible future waves of the virus. They say this would cover social care, health, education, transport and shopping.

Ahead of the spending review, the charities are calling on the UK government to make sure every part of the country has the money it needs to support autistic people through the pandemic.

The report, titled Left Stranded, says: “The coronavirus outbreak has impacted everyone’s life.

“But for autistic people and their families, it has left them completely stranded. This report highlights the often devastating impact this has had.”

Caroline Stevens, chief executive of the National Autistic Society, said autistic people and their families have been struggling to get the care, support and understanding they need for years, with things made even harder by coronavirus.

She said: “If you’re autistic, small changes and unexpected events can trigger intense anxiety.

“So, the disruption and pace of change during the coronavirus outbreak has been incredibly hard.

“On top of this, support from some public services disappeared overnight, leading to impossible pressures on families and many feeling abandoned.

“The impact is stark, with nine in ten autistic people telling us they’ve been worried about their mental health during lockdown and 85 per cent saying their anxiety has increased. We’re worried many could be at serious risk of crisis.”