Autism Service
A free service for adults living in Barnet with a diagnosis/suspected diagnosis of autism
Barnet Mencap’s Autism Service is a free service for adults in Barnet (or who have a GP in Barnet) who are, or suspect they may be, autistic. Whilst all of our other services are for people who have a learning disability, the Autism Service is for people who don't also have a learning disability.
Autism is a lifelong condition. Autism is sometimes referred to as a spectrum, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
There are three common features of autism, which might affect the way a person:
- interacts with others in a social situation
- is able to communicate with others
- experiences the world around them.
Autism is not a learning disability, but around half of autistic people may also have a learning disability, which will affect the level of support they need in their life.
Please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions if you have any questions about autism, or feel free to give us a ring.
We offer Adult Autism Screenings to anyone living in the Borough of Barnet. The screening is the first step in the NHS pathway for adults with suspected autism in Barnet. If you want to receive a formal diagnosis of Autism you need to contact us first. Take a look at our simple guide on how our screening service works.
If you need to change or cancel you appointment please do so at least 24h in advance. If you fail to do so or do not attend your appointment without previous notice we might discharge you from the service. If you wish to re-schedule, you need to let us know in advance, otherwise your name will be added to the bottom of the waiting list. Due to high demand, the current waiting time is 4-6 months, but this is likely to change based on the service volume of referrals.
We offer many other services, including:
- Autism Training
- Events and activities
- Peer support group
- Peer support group for partners, family and carers of adults
- Autism diagnosis informative sessions
- Autism specific advisory service
For more information about these services, please click here to view our Autism Service flyer.
We usually put our monthly events planner here on our website, but due to Covid-19 we aren't holding any events. We will put them here again when they're back up and running - the sessions are free but you would need to be a member to attend.
We also put our workshop timetable here. This will also return when the service is back to normal. There is a £10 refundable deposit to attend our FREE workshops.
If you, or somebody you know, are interested in our service, please contact one of our Autism Advisors by email on projectsupport@barnetmencap.org.uk or on 020 8349 3842
If you have had an autism screening with us and you requested to be referred to the Maudsley for formal autism diagnosis, you should follow this up to ensure the referral goes ahead as smoothly as possible. Try the following:
- Check with your GP practice that the referral has been made
- Wait 1-2 months and then call the Maudsley to inquire about the state of your referral. If they say they never received the referral or they need additional information, please contact your GP practice. You can contact the Maudsley via the PALS service on freephone 0800 731 2864 (Option 2) or by email at pals@slam.nhs.uk . Waiting time is 18-24 months, they will not be able to give you an appointment yet, but they will be able to confirm whether or not you are on the waiting list.
- Once you have been seen for your diagnostic assessment, please let us know the outcome so we can update your records.
Supporting our clients who have autism is extremely important to us, and so is their mental health and well being. Please find a link here to the podcast where Christine and Emma from our Autism Service discuss autism and issues around the pandemic.
