Autism and Learning Disability

These pages have advice and resources for patients with a learning disability, autism or both. Parents and carers can also access these resources to enable their child or a young person they support to access Whittington Health NHS Trust.

Going to hospital when you are autistic or have a learning disability can be really scary, especially if you don’t know what to expect. Whittington Health NHS Trust has worked with Youth Patrons from Ambitious about Autism, the national charity for autistic children & young people, to develop resources to make the hospital more welcoming to autistic visitors.

The resources provide information about going to hospital, what to expect when you get here, communicating support needs to healthcare staff and a glossary of terms. These resources have been co-developed with staff, autistic young people and parents to make sure they are used to make the hospital a friendlier place for autistic patients and patients with learning disabilities.

Whittington Health NHS Trust is committed to making sure that patients with a learning disability, autism or both are able to access the care they need with their support needs taken into account.

 

Sometimes visiting a hospital in advance of your treatment can help, especially with young children. While we do not offer specific tours, if you visit Whittington Health NHS Trust, you will be able to familiarise yourselves with the layout and reception areas. By visiting beforehand and using the visual stories the Ambitious about Autism Youth Patrons have developed you can reduce anxiety about hospital uncertainty.