TreaTmenT choice
Access
for
autism
Are alcohol services meeting the needs of
adults with autism? Alcohol Concern and
the University of Bath are working to
improve support for this client group and
want to hear the views of practitioners, as
Andrew Misell explains
T
here are around 700,000 people in the UK on the autistic spectrum –
around 1 per cent of the population. When you’re on the spectrum,
social interaction and communication – with all their unwritten rules
and conventions – can be tricky. Reading the thoughts, feelings and
behaviours of others can be a minefield. When you’re unusually
sensitive to sounds, touch, and light, our world of constant stimuli
and chatter can be a challenge. And when you add it all up, everyday situations can
feel overwhelming.
In the face of all this, retreat into safer spaces and activities is attractive. Indeed,
many people with autism do respond to the busyness and bother of the world by
avoiding risky or unpredictable situations. This has led in turn to something of an
assumption that they are unlikely to misuse alcohol. The logic goes something like
this: if someone likes to be clear about where they stand, why start using a
substance that makes everything foggier?
‘Many people with
autism do respond to
the busyness and
bother of the world
by avoiding risky or
unpredictable
situations. This has led
in turn to something
of an assumption that
they are unlikely to
misuse alcohol.’
12 | drinkanddrugsnews | May 2018
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com