By Jess Sutton, Autism and Self Advocacy Lead
Hi everyone, my name is Jess, and I am MacIntyre’s Autism and Self-Advocacy Lead!
2025 was a big year! From improving and continuing our training, helping us to spread knowledge of autism more effectively than ever before, to supporting self-advocacy and putting power in the hands of people who draw on our support, there is a lot to be proud of.
Personally, the best achievement of the year has been re-establishing the MacIntyre Autism Special Interest Group (ASIG), a series of twice-yearly online events, focusing on autism. The new ASIG has been a resounding success, and it’s only going to get better. I would love to see the ASIG become a wider forum for exploring autism-related issues, and reaching wider audiences – beyond MacIntyre and even outside the world of Health and Social Care.
I’ve learned a great deal while setting up the meetings, especially from working alongside our guest speakers. It’s been a good reminder of the importance of looking outward, learning from others, and using that learning to keep improving the support we offer.
My hope is that the ASIG can continue to be a learning space, where people are welcomed to explore new perspectives and issues they may never have thought about before. I’m hopeful about the future of the group and I am excited to see how it develops!
I have thoroughly enjoyed leading on the new ASIG and I am certain 2026 will be another exciting year!
If you’d like to be part of it, we’d love to see you at our next Autism Special Interest Group meeting in March 2026. You can sign up here.
And keep your eyes peeled for more information about future events and opportunities to get involved.
