Supporting the Ecosystem of Autistic Advocacy

The growing number of young people with neurodiversity — includinging ADHD, ASD and Asperger's syndrome, learning disabilities, as well as mental health conditions — is not being adequately addressed by existing support systems. Reports from autistic- led organisations highlight the insufficient ambition of public service providers to meet the genuine needs of these target groups for independent living, as guaranteed by the UN CRPD.

The number of children and young people with ND differences is continuously rising (1 in 39 children lives with autism, compared to 1 in 500 a decade ago), and currently the population of young people over 16 and young adults represents the most affected age group — one that is entering adulthood without adequate support and facing a long-standing deficit of appropriate systems. They lack skills in recognising and communicating their needs across different environments, as well as self-confidence and knowledge of the laws and regulations that could support their inclusion in society. Equally, parents and institutions in the immediate surroundings of these young people lack the skills and awareness needed to provide support for independent living.

ND young people fall through the cracks of mainstream support systems due to their specific challenges, finding themselves at risk of early school leaving despite good intellectual ability; their mental health difficulties are increasing, and many are becoming dependent on a social system that continues to rely on outdated paradigms of providing services.

The number of individuals diagnosed with these differences at age 40 and above is also growing — people who equally require services that respect their human rights. Current inclusive policies, including the UNCRPD, demand and assume the active participation of disadvantaged groups in advocating for their own rights. The recent ecosystem requires support on several levels to accomodate their real needs for sake of dignity of autistic persons.

The aim of the project is to strengthen the capacities of autistic individuals, their families, NGOs providing services in Slovakia in the area of autistic advocacy. The project implements and localises the A2Academy methodology — a peer-led advocacy education programme piloted in the Czech Republic and endorsed by the EUCAP. It intervenes wider ecosystem, with the goal of creating the conditions for long-term systemic change in the approach to the rights of autistic persons.

All activities are led by professionals with lived experience, bringing a unique perspective to these issues. The project is implemented by A Centrum (SK) and Adventor z.s. (CZ) as equal partners with a shared goal, actively involved in the delivery of activities.

The outputs include educational materials for 3 target groups (5 modules total), information campaign, as well as recommendations from a closing online conference for stakeholders involved in policy-making. 3 educational modules focus on 3 main areas: Self-awareness and self advocacy; Human rights of persons on the autism spectrum, covering rights in the areas of education, employment, and the right to independent living; and Advocacy competencies and tools for rights promotion.

The learning design will be adapted to the specific needs of persons on the AS — small groups, diverse communication modalities, a quiet room for sensory relief, individual and group safety plans, etc. The modules content will be adapted for parents and professionals,to support understanding of specific needs and to explore advocacy from an ally perspective.

The educational philosophy will emphasise the role of autistic-led services, mentoring and support, as well as various forms of peer assistance, all grounded in a neuro-affirmative approach, facilitated by professionals with lived experience. The quality guarantee for the project will be provided by EUCAP - network of autistic- led organisations in 27 countries which cooperates with ENIL and EDF.

Direct results are:

• Set of educational materials and three A2Academy modules adapted for the Slovak context, covering self-advocacy, human rights, and advocacy competencies, tailored to the communication and sensory needs of autistic participants.
• A trained cohort of autistic self-advocates ( 30 persons), equipped with skills to recognise and communicate their needs, understand their legal rights, and engage in rights promotion via informaiton campaign.
• Capacity-building sessions for parents and NGO staff, strengthening their role as informed allies and advocates (2 modules, 60 participants).
• A closing online conference producing policy recommendations for stakeholders and decision-makers at national and EU levels.
• A growing ecosystem of peer-led advocacy support in Slovakia, reducing dependency on outdated, top-down service models.

Outcomes and impact:

• Improved mental health, self-confidence, and social inclusion for young autistic people and adults entering or navigating independent life, empowered and provided by comprehensive self- advocacy skills.
• Stronger self- advocates voices in shaping policies affecting autistic persons, aligned with the UN CRPD and current EU inclusive policy frameworks.
• Replicable and scalable methodology available for broader dissemination and scaling across the EU, supported by EUCAP, ENIL, and EDF networks.

Direct beneficiaries include autistic individuals — particularly young people over 16 and young adults entering adulthood — as well as adults diagnosed later in life (40+)-, frequently belonging to LGBTI + community, their families and parents, and staff of NGOs working in the field of disability and neurodiversity in Slovakia and Czech Republic.

Indirect beneficiaries include public service providers, policy-makers, and the broader autistic community in both countries, who will benefit from the shared outputs, conference recommendations, and the strengthened advocacy ecosystem co-created through this project.