Our Autism AIM service, which includes Leeds Autism AIM, the Autism AIM – Mental Health Equity Project and Bradford and Craven Autism AIM, celebrates its’ 10th anniversary this November! Over the past decade, the service has supported thousands of autistic adults in Leeds and other parts of West Yorkshire.

AIM, which is largely staffed by and co-led by autistic adults, has been free at the point of use since the start. It has provided advocacy and supported people to self-advocate. AIM has also provided information and signposting to relevant services.

Much of this work has been done at the Lovell Park Hub, where they have run regular drop-in and appointment-only Hub sessions since January 2015. They have also offered information via their website, via email and over the phone when requested.

The service’s mentoring offer has helped dozens of autistic adults set and achieve life goals, with the support of dedicated volunteers. In recent years, they have added more services, including one-to-one peer support and post-diagnostic support.

Mental health work

To help improve access to mental health support for autistic adults, AIM launched two new projects – the Autism AIM – Mental Health Equity Project and the Mental Health Access Project. The former has done work across West Yorkshire to help improve mental health support for autistic adults, including by delivering training to social prescribers and advocates.

The latter project, which launched a few months ago, has been working to improve access to community mental health services in Leeds. Both projects have also done sensory audits of mental health settings.

Resources and expansion

Something the AIM service started doing a few years back was creating a range of free resources. They included:

  • Self-advocacy tools, such as autism alert cards, planning tools and a services profile
  • Strategy guides on topics like employment, health and communication
  • Resources from the Autism AIM – Mental Health Equity Project, covering areas including sensory needs, sleep and anxiety

One of AIM’s most recent successes was setting up a sister service in Bradford and Craven. After a successful pilot year from 2023-24, Bradford and Craven Autism AIM continues to operate. This service provides post-diagnostic support, a health access project, information and signposting for autistic adults in this part of the world.

Award-winning

About a year ago, Autism AIM’s good work was recognised at two award ceremonies. In the Celebrate as One Awards, the Autism AIM – Mental Health Equity Project team and Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust picked up the Partnership prize for their sensory audits of mental health inpatient settings in Leeds.

Not long after that, Autism AIM bagged the Outstanding Service prize at the 2023 National Advocacy Awards. This showed that AIM had gained recognition not just locally, but regionally and nationally.

None of AIM’s work would be possible without the support of their funders. Big thanks to the following for making their work happen:

Join in the celebrations

Throughout November, AIM will be marking the anniversary by publishing a series of blog posts. They will also be sharing content on their social media accounts. To see their #AIMiversary content:

  • Visit the #AIMiversary page of the Leeds Autism AIM website here
  • Search for the #AIMiversary hashtag on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and LinkedIn

If you have any questions about the #AIMiversary or want to get involved, please email Luke, our Communications Lead and Autism AIM Information Officer, at [email protected].