Our Mission Statement
Autistic UK CIC Mission Statement 2023
“Our mission is to bring the autistic community together in a co-operative effort to ensure that, in every aspect of education health and social care, the needs and views of autistic people are taken into account by those who provide or commission services.”
Our Values
Our network is firmly based in the philosophies of peer-to-peer support and inclusion.
We believe that autistic adults should have choice, the opportunity to make their own decisions, and be equipped with the tools to enable them to achieve their aspirations in life.
We believe there should be nothing about us without us and encourage our associates to develop the skills needed to successfully self-advocate.
We have no preconceptions of our network associates as we understand that everyone is unique.
It's hard to find just one term to describe the work we do at Autistic UK the closest we could find was the term "changemakers "
What is a Changemaker
Simply put, a changemaker is someone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem.
We hear a lot about global changemakers, Greta Thunberg is one of the first that comes to the mind of the general public .Then there are many changemakers who set up charities or social enterprises to help specific communities.
You don’t need to be all over media or make great big changes to make a difference, Changemakers come from all walks of life and can find opportunities to make a difference in any number of roles.
One thing all autistic changemakers know is that every barrier, no matter how small that autistic adults break down now is one that autistic children should not have to face in the future.
For a long time, autistic adults or user-led groups were not invited to discussions where decisions were made that would impact our lives. Everything used a top-down approach that was focused around a medical or deficit model `But things are changing and there are many different types of changemakers. Often our roles are very fluid and we wear many hats, getting involved with multiple organisations and groups.
We use many different methods to have our voices heard. We do what is needed when it is needed. Increasing our knowledge and developing new skills as we go along
We have our social media influencers who have platforms with huge numbers of followers,
We have our TV stars such as Chris Packham, Christine McGuiness and Davina McColl.
Don’t forget the many music stars and actors who now feel able to disclose their neurodivergence
Different Types of Changemakers?
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Activists
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Advocates
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Representatives
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Social Media Influencers
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Business Entrepreneurs
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Creatives
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Public Speakers
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Bloggers and Vlogger
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Authors
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Reality TV Stars
What About the Unseen Changemakers?
There are many of us who find the glare of the public eye is not for us and we do much of our work behind the scenes.
There are lots of autistic adults who are actually at the heart of real change creating and driving their own solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.
Who rarely talk about their work because it’s not seen as exciting or it is of a sensitive nature and not suitable for public platforms but the individuals who take up these roles working in policy and service development are just as important as our superstars.
Within changemakers there is an innate sense of social justice that motivates and drives us We decide to do something about a social problem, and keep trying until we have made a difference, changemakers have the courage to see and do things differently.
The Changemakers who create the most impact don’t make changes overnight especially when working with the autistic community, it takes a good while for our community to trust anyone .
To understand what the challenges facing our community are you have to connect in our environment and really listen
To solve the sort of issues we are currently facing, we often need others to be personally connected to the issue we want to solve. It needs people who care.
People who see past the problems to the solutions.
This is why Changemakers are so important because they are individuals who put ideas into action. They work out what the problems and barriers are big and small and explore realistic solutions to these issues.
Lasting change is not created by lone heroes; it requires teams of people, strong organisations, and support from every part of society.
No one person can do anything alone and it does take a lot of work to change attitudes and outdated ideas.
In the end, being a Changemaker means being part of the change you want to see happen.
The Change We Want to See
There are many outcomes we would like to see
●No More Stereotypes
●No More Stigma
●No More Discrimination
● Autistic-led and Co-designed Role Specific Training `
●Autistic Networks and Peer Support,
●Good Quality Relationships and Sex education
●A move towards Life Skills and Safety Coaching rather than just basic socail skills
●Focus on emotional well-being and fostering good mental health
