Our site visit to Number 6 in Edinburgh was amazing. It was so cool to see what they were doing and the inovative services that they are providing. Number 6 creates a community for people with disabilities. I love that they chose to name the organization number 6. This helps to separate the service from the word “autism”. The label of autism could be alienating to many people at first so I feel that the choice to name the organization number 6 helps the clients to feel more comfortable using the service.
Back home in Massachusetts, my brother uses a different service for people who are “high functioning” from the Autism Aspergers Network. His service provider does not provide a social space, but he does receive job coaching, life coaching, and general support. I think that the number 6 model is so cool in that it provides a one stop shop for people with new diagnoses. I love their approach.
One question that I was left with from this experience with Number 6 was: “what services are available for people who were diagnosed with autism before the age of 16, but are now past 16 and would benefit from job coaching and a social group?”
Number 6 services are available for people who were diagnosed with aspergers as adults. People with aspergers who were diagnosed earlier would also benefit from job coaching and support. I am not sure why they draw the line there. I understand that this is a service for people who are older and need job coaching and things like that but I wonder what services look like for everyone else. Is there a service more similar to AANE?
I completely agree that Number 6 has made their program less intimidating by using a name that doesn’t have the word “autism” in it. Having a program with autism in the name might deter some people from using it just because of the meaning and weight behind it. I also think that is a great question to ask. I wonder if people who are diagnosed before the age of 16 need to be diagnosed again after they turn 16 to make sure that the diagnosis is current.
Since the program that your brother uses does not have a social aspect to it, does it provide resources that he can go to or recommend him to another group that does have a social community, or is he on his own to find other people that he can connect to?