Why our support matters

What are Autism and ADHD?

Autism influences how people experience and interact with the world. It is a lifelong neurodivergence and disability. Autistic people are different from each other, but for a diagnosis they must share differences from non-autistic people in how they think, feel and communicate.

Being autistic means you may feel things and react to them differently to non-autistic people. You may find socialising confusing or tiring, and you may become overwhelmed in loud or busy places. You may have intense Special Interests, prefer order and routine, and use repeated movements or actions to calm yourself or express joy. You might mask your discomfort to fit in, which can lead to mental illness.

For more information - National Autistic Society

ADHD (Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that can affect daily functioning.

ADHD affects 2.5 million people in England according to estimates from NHS Digital. This includes those without a formal diagnosis and this data is based on prevalence date from NICE who suggest around 3 to 4% of adults and 5% of children and young people have ADHD.

ADHD can affect Executive Functioning Skills, which are the processes that help people to plan and organise. They help to control our attention, our impulses and emotions so we can focus on what we have to do and sustain our focus so that we can complete tasks. There is one diagnosis of ADHD, and three diagnosable subsets which are Inattentive, Hyperactive or Combined Type.

For more information - ADHD Foundation

But, isn’t everyone a little bit autistic?

Absolutely not! This is a commonly held misconception and a misunderstanding of the concept of the ‘Autistic Spectrum’.

The Autism Spectrum is not linear

The Autism Spectrum looks more like:

Neurotypical people might have small or average-sized slices across the chart—showing mild traits that are within a typical range - but Autistic people tend to have larger or more extreme slices in multiple areas, not necessarily all, but enough to impact daily life or meet diagnostic criteria.

What do the statistics show us in how this affects people's lives?

Neurodivergent people can experience additional challenges which can have significant effects on their life, such as:

Life expectancy

Autism itself does not affect life expectancy - Despite this studies have shown that autistic people have a life expectancy that is 16 years shorter on average.

Suicide

Studies show people with Autism are 5 x more likely to die by suicide than the general population and 35% of autistic adults have attempted suicide - This shows a shocking disproportion in suicide rates when compared with the general population. Those with ADHD are 3 x more likely to die by suicide than the general population.

Reference Reference

Prisons / crime

Studies show that one in three people in prison may be neurodivergent.

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Education

92.1% of children with school attendance difficulties are neurodivergent, with 83.5% being autistic (according to one sample by Connolly & Mullally, 2022). The school environment can present neurodivergent people with incredible challenges and difficulties.

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Employment

Just 3 in 10 autistic adults are in work, compared to 5 in 10 for all disabled people and 8 in 10 for non-disabled people.

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Mental Health

Neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD are not mental health conditions. But being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world can lead to challenges that increase the risk of stress, anxiety or depression, and research indicates that up to half of autistic people also experience depression at some point in their lives (National Autistic Society) and up to half of those with ADHD experience one or more anxiety disorders (National Library of Medicine).

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The negative outcomes experienced by people with Autism and/or ADHD are often the consequence of a lack of understanding or support from institutions and a huge difference could be made.

Healthcare

Commonly neurodivergent people can face additional barriers to accessing healthcare or practitioners in a busy and stretched healthcare system can misunderstand the needs of neurodivergent people. Matthew's Hub is involved with The Oliver McGowan training which is seeking to improve the level of knowledge and understanding from healthcare professionals.

Autism is more common in young males, right?

In the 1940s, autism research involved many more autistic boys than girls, leading some to incorrectly view autism as a condition that only affected males and associating it in the mind of the public as a childhood condition. We now know that people of all genders can be autistic and that it is, of course, a life long condition . Autism is still diagnosed between three and four times more often in boys compared to girls, on average (Reference: Loomes et al., 2017). Girls on average tend to be diagnosed later than boys, and it can take longer for them to get a diagnosis (Reference: Begeer et al., 2013).

At Matthew’s Hub, we see a much more balanced picture with a similar number of male and female members (in fact over recent years new female members outnumber new male members) and new members from all age groups all the way from 13 up to 75 and beyond.

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So - What types of work does Matthew's Hub do to help?

Our neurodivergent staff support people from those entering secondary school to those in old age.

Pre & Post Diagnostic Assessment Support

Neurodivergent staff helping neurodivergent people understand how their autism and / or ADHD impacts on them.

Coaching

Helping autistic people and those with ADHD to develop strategies and coping mechanisms to live their best life.

Social activities

Helping combat loneliness(weekly groups, walk&talk, cinema, theatre etc).

Parent support

Parents' Social Nights (a chance to meet other parents) and Workshops (insightful 4-week workshops designed to help you foster deeper connections with your child).

Advice and support group

Weekly chance to speak to staff about housing, employment, benefits, health etc.

Youth group

Weekly on Fridays

Training and workshops

Raising awareness and understanding of autism and ADHD with neurodivergent individuals, organisations, parents and families.

How do you know it’s working?

Our referrals are consistently increasing including self-referrals and those from staff in the NHS, local authorities, schools, colleges and other charities.

We receive positive feedback about our training which is most often rated as excellent, and frequently as good.

"She loved the autism workshop. She said it was really interesting and that she learned a lot. It helped her understand her sister a lot more and she was even able to explain to me why her sister was doing some things that she does off the back of it too!"

Comments about peer mentoring

“I was extremely happy with all of the support I received".

“Matthew’s Hub have been my rock, I have absolutely no idea where I would be without them.”

“Because I received so much support it’s allowed me to begin to plan and dream and focus again”

"I firmly believe I would not be here with your support and the support of Matthew's Hub".

Find out more about Matthew's Hub's services, training and support