Our new research suggests that autistic people are among the most isolated and lonely in the UK. We compared the results of our new survey of almost 900 autistic people with the Government’s own data and the findings indicate that autistic people are four times as likely to be lonely as the general public. Our previous research suggests that 79% of autistic people feel socially isolated.
We are calling on Tracey Crouch MP, the minister with responsibility for tackling loneliness, to make sure the Government’s upcoming strategy addresses the root causes of loneliness for autistic people.
Tracey Crouch MP recently spoke about her work, including a visit to an autism service, at the inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Loneliness and Social Isolation (Tuesday 27 March). She also talked about the isolation faced by many parents of autistic people and the importance of improving public understanding of autism.