More than 200 people attend autism and mental health conference in Kent

More than 200 professionals, autistic people, people with learning disabilities, families, carers and advocates came together in Kent for a conference exploring the links between autism, learning disabilities and mental health.

My Unique Self: Beyond Behaviour was jointly hosted by the Kent Autistic Trust and Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. The event brought together nationally recognised experts and people with lived experience to explore how health and care services can better understand and support autistic people. A central theme was the importance of looking beyond behaviour, remaining curious and taking time to understand the mental health, physical health, communication and life experiences that may be affecting each person.

Christine Edwards-Daem, Chief Executive of the Kent Autistic Trust, said: “It was inspiring to see such a strong commitment to improving the lives of autistic people. What matters now is how we use the knowledge, expertise and experiences shared throughout the day to influence practice and improve the support people receive.

“We all have a role to play in making sure autistic people are understood as individuals, that their voices shape the services they use, and that we continue to learn from what works. By taking these conversations forward and working together, we can help make a lasting difference to the lives of autistic people and their families.”

The conference explored how assumptions about autism and behaviour can contribute to missed diagnoses, misdiagnosis and diagnostic overshadowing, where physical or mental health conditions are wrongly attributed to a person’s autism or learning disability.

National experts discussed a range of topics, including autism and mental illness, epilepsy, catatonia, restrictive eating and pathological demand avoidance (PDA). Sessions highlighted the importance of recognising when an autistic person may be experiencing a mental or physical health condition and ensuring they receive appropriate assessment and support.

Autistic speakers also shared their personal experiences of accessing health and care services. Their contributions highlighted the impact of feeling misunderstood and the importance of listening to people’s concerns, taking them seriously and involving autistic people in decisions about their care.

George Matuska, Learning Disability Nurse and Clinical Lead for Learning Disabilities and Autism at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “Autistic people and people with learning disabilities may experience mental health difficulties that are not always recognised. Professionals need to look beyond behaviour, consider changes in a person’s wellbeing and understand how they communicate their needs and distress.

“Listening to the person, carrying out appropriate assessments and understanding their individual circumstances are essential to providing safe, effective and person-centred care.”

The conference also gave delegates from health, social care and education the opportunity to share knowledge, discuss challenges and learn from different professional perspectives. Kent Autistic Trust will bring together the feedback and learning from the day and share it with partners to help shape future practice and identify opportunities to improve care and support.

The event reflects the ongoing partnership between the Kent Autistic Trust and Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust to improve care and support for autistic people and people with learning disabilities across Kent and Medway. This is part of a wider drive to make care more personalised, with the trust’s Quality Improvement Plan including a specific focus on better recognising and recording autism, learning disabilities, communication needs and reasonable adjustments from first contact, so staff can provide care that reflects each person’s individual needs.

Attendees described the conference as informative, insightful and impactful, with the day encouraging people to think differently about autism and how autistic people are understood and supported across Kent and Medway.