Autism
We take time to understand your preferences and what makes a home work for you. Your communication, sensory needs, routines and goals guide the conversation about a suitable service.
Start with the person
An autism diagnosis alone does not tell us what support someone needs. We consider each person and each home individually, including the adjustments, staff knowledge and specialist input a proposed placement would need.
Progress can mean maintaining stability as well as learning something new.
Autistic adults have different strengths, preferences and support needs. Someone may need practical help with particular tasks, adjustments to their environment, assistance communicating or a combination of these. We start by finding out what works for the person.
SLS supports adults aged 18 and over. Autism can overlap with learning disabilities, mental health needs or physical health conditions. We consider these together and confirm the adjustments and support a particular service can provide.
Everyday support
These are the areas to explore with us. The specific help, adjustments and staff arrangements are agreed through assessment and your support plan.
Tell us how you prefer to receive information and express yourself. You may want questions in advance, written information, clear language or extra time to respond. Communication preferences belong in the support plan so they can guide everyday interactions.
Light, sound, touch, smells and the use of shared spaces can affect how a home feels. A suitability discussion should identify the features that matter to you and the adjustments that can realistically be made in the proposed property.
A familiar routine may make daily life easier to manage. Explain which routines matter, how you like plans communicated and what helps when something changes. We discuss how this would work with visits, staff contact and activities.
Support can focus on the parts of daily living that take extra effort, even when other tasks are straightforward. Explain the type of help you find useful and what gets in the way, so support can be specific rather than based on assumptions.
Your plan should describe how you communicate that something is difficult, the situations you want others to understand and the approaches that help. Any existing professional advice or specialist input needs to be included in assessment and clearly assigned.
Your goals do not have to look like anyone else’s. You may want support to enjoy an interest, study, work, meet someone or spend time independently. We discuss what would make the activity comfortable and worthwhile for you.
The right setting
An attractive property is only part of the decision. Think about the sensory environment, how predictable daily arrangements feel and the balance between privacy and shared space. A visit can help identify practical questions that a brochure cannot answer.
Compare homes and locationsExplore homes described as self-contained in the directory. Confirm the exact facilities, access and support arrangement for the property you are considering.
Other homes offer bedrooms or accommodation with some shared facilities. Ask which spaces are private, what is shared and how everyday arrangements work.
Floating support offers planned visits in East and South London. Discuss local coverage, visit arrangements and whether the service can meet your assessed needs.
Explore floating supportThe directory shows the location and accommodation at each home. Tell referrals about your support and environment preferences so the team can identify which services may be relevant.
Referral and assessment
You can tell us how to make the assessment conversation work for you. Existing information can help, but the team also needs to hear your current preferences and understand the environment and support you are looking for.
Start with a brief enquiry. Keep clinical reports, detailed risk information and identity documents for the secure sharing arrangements explained by the referrals team.
Information for professionalsA transition is planned around the person, suitable availability and the arrangements agreed with everyone involved.
Explain what would help you understand the proposed home and team before visiting. Discuss the format, timing and amount of information that suits you.
During an arranged visit, consider the rooms, shared areas and surroundings. Discuss any further visits or adjustments that would help assess the setting.
Agree what happens before and during the move, which familiar routines can continue and how any changes will be explained. Identify who coordinates the arrangements.
After the move, use your preferred communication method to discuss the home, routines and staff support. Review the adjustments and any further changes needed.
A plan you understand
Your housing agreement and care or support plan cover different things. Before a placement begins, you should understand the help included, who provides it and how it will be paid for.
An example to discuss
“I want to attend an activity linked to my interests.”
You decide who you would like involved in the discussion. A familiar supporter may explain approaches that work, but their account should sit alongside your own preferences. You may also want part of a conversation on your own.
Reviews should ask whether the support and environment are a good fit for your life. The focus can be comfort, choice, wellbeing or doing something you value, with the way you communicate built into the review.
Your questions
No autism-specific capability is assumed across the directory. The suitability of a particular home, its environment, staff knowledge and available adjustments must be assessed for each person. Tell referrals what you need so these points can be checked before a service is proposed.
Tell the referrals team what would help you take part. This could include receiving questions in advance, communicating in writing, taking breaks or involving a supporter. Agree the practical arrangements with the team when planning the conversation or visit.
Yes, visits can be arranged where there is a potentially suitable available option. Explain your preferences about timing, introductions and information beforehand. Use the visit to explore the sensory environment and ask which adjustments are possible. Further preparation depends on the person and the proposed service.
Your interests and preferences should guide the discussion about activities. You may prefer individual activities, time alone or a particular kind of social contact. Ask what living in the proposed home would involve, especially the use of shared spaces, so you can consider whether the setting works for you.
Include these needs in the referral so they can be considered alongside your communication, sensory and daily living preferences. Assessment identifies the care and specialist input required, who will provide it and whether the proposed service can meet the combined needs.
A particular clinical therapy or specialist programme is not included simply because this is an autism support page. Tell the team about any existing professional advice or required approach. The provider, staff competence, funding and delivery arrangements for specialist input need to be confirmed in the proposed plan.
Your support plan can be reviewed as circumstances change. Agree how you would like to raise concerns and who should be involved in a review. This is an opportunity to discuss the environment, routines, communication or support that no longer work well and what can be adjusted.
The whole person
You do not need to fit into one category. These pages may also be helpful.
Explore independent information from the NHS and NICE.
A conversation is a good place to start
Tell us what matters to you, where you would like to live and the support you need.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Send a brief enquiry first. We’ll explain how to share any supporting documents.