To access Leeds Autism AIM’s groups or services, please fill in the online referral by clicking the button at the bottom of this page. If you have filled in this form before, you can simply email [email protected] to request information, join any of our groups or be added to the waiting list for any of our services.

The form should only take a few minutes to complete and will help us to contact you about the support you would like from us.

Who can refer?

The following people can make referrals using our form:

  • Autistic adults aged 18+
  • Parents/carers/partners of autistic adults
  • Professionals working with autistic adults e.g. health and social care professionals, services like housing support, social prescribing

If you are a parent/carer/partner or professional making a referral on behalf of an autistic adult, you must get their consent before doing so.

Please note that our service is for autistic adults living in the Leeds City Council area who get little or no funded support. To fill in the form, please click on the link below and we will be back in touch within 14 working days.

What services can I access?

I Have a Diagnosis

If you have a formal autism diagnosis, you are able to access these services:

I Don’t Have a Diagnosis

If you do not have a formal autism diagnosis, you are able to access these services:

If you prefer to only communicate via email or have an urgent inquiry, you can also contact us by email at [email protected].

Referrals: FAQs

Paid support is financial support provided by the local authority e.g. personal budgets or direct payments, which are intended to help pay for things such as support workers and help with payments towards day services and paid support services.

To access this kind of financial support, you would have to go through a needs assessment and have a social worker assigned.

You are welcome to refer someone on their behalf, but you must get their permission.

You must get consent from the person before referring them to us so we would be unable to work with them. As an advocacy organisation, our role is to respect and uphold the rights of the individual, including their right to make decisions about their own life. If an autistic adult chooses not to engage or seek support, we must honour their autonomy and respect their wishes.

We understand that this can be difficult for parents and carers, however autistic people may have different priorities or work on different timelines. We encourage parents to keep communication open and allow time for the person to engage when they feel ready, rather than pushing for immediate action.

If you would like some support for yourself as a carer, please head over to our carers support page for information about services in Leeds who might be able to support you.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide advocates and support workers. We offer low-level short-term support and support individuals to self-advocate.

Once we receive your referral, we will get back to you within 10 working days using the contact method you have requested on the referral form.

When we contact you, we will arrange to discuss the support you have requested. If you are not sure what support you need/would like, we can discuss what is available.

No, if you just want to ask a question you can get in contact by phone or email. More information can be found on our contact page here.

No, if you want to access a different or new service, you can just get in contact with us, and we will be happy to discuss what you’d like. For contact information, please see our contact page here.

The Advonet Group: Advocacy Referrals

If you need a specific type of advocacy, The Advonet Group can provide the following services:

  • Care Act Advocacy – for anyone who needs support getting their needs met in the Care Act assessment process
  • Community Advocacy – for single issues that need to be resolved
  • Health Complaints Advocacy – for anyone who needs help to make a complaint about an NHS service
  • Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) – help to make decisions on a person’s behalf in their best interests
  • Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) – free and independent advocacy for patients detained under the Mental Health Act

To make a referral for advocacy from The Advonet Group, please click on the button below.