Autism Passport scheme launches in Sussex
It's been introduced to help those with the condition communicate better with services like police
An ‘Autism Passport’ has launched in Sussex during Autism Awareness Week to support autistic people’s communication with services.
The A5 passport and wallet-sized card has been co-produced in a collaboration with autistic people, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT), Sussex Police and other services.
The passport, which has been created specifically for Sussex after success elsewhere in the country, enables autistic individuals to state what reasonable adjustments and specific communication needs they may have.
This means they can be supported, particularly if they are in a distressing situation, such as coming into contact with the police.
It provides tips on effective communication with autistic individuals, along with key information and contact details of an appropriate adult to help them if they require it.
Dr Dawn Howard, Neurodevelopmental Services Clinical Lead at SPFT, said:
"We know that minor adjustments in the physical environment and how people communicate with autistic people in a crisis can make a significant difference to them being able to access the support they need.
"The roll out of this project is going to benefit autistic people when they come into contact with services.”
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) provides specialist mental health and learning disabilities services to adult and children in Sussex, and young people across Hampshire.
SPFT’s Neurodevelopmental services offers specialist diagnostic assessment for neurodivergent adults in Sussex.
Tanja Grim-Conway originally came across the project as a member of the National Police Autism Association.
She explained: “I managed to get hold of about 300 copies of the original autism passport from the Metropolitan Police, who had co-produced it with autistic people and British Transport Police, NPAA and City of London Police, and distributed those in Sussex to a variety of services and organisations.
"The response in Sussex was overwhelmingly positive. I felt it would be a good idea to have our own local version with the logos of local organisations on it. If you recognise the logo from ‘your’ organisation or the service you work for, you are more likely to take it seriously.
"Effective communication is crucial for people on the autistic spectrum and this passport will help to achieve this.”
The Autism Passport is available to download here.