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Frustrated mum of autistic teen

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LurcherMum

Member since
March 2025

2 posts

Hi everyone

My son is 20. He is autistic in ways that can't be seen. He has missed most of his secondary education and had been attending a specialist college for 4 hours a week until he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue just over a year ago. His world is online. He will only leave the house to go to a local shop. Over the past 6 months he has met his 'real' friends maybe 3 or 4 times.

My son was arrested for sharing an image over a year ago, when he was 19. The image is considered indecent in the eyes of the law. He can't remember the actual image but As far as he is concerned, the image would have been of someone a year or two younger than him at most.

As a family we have been rocked. We have never had police interaction until now. We are taking it very seriously. I feel he needs educating it what is legal and appropriate and the dangers to him of accessing pictures he doesn't know the context of. He is not a paedophile. He, at the time of the crime, was an autistic teen interested in girls of a similar age to him. Is there a course for people like him? If not why not? Are the Lucy Faithful courses ever tailored to younger men who are autistic?



thanks in advance

LM

Posted Tue April 1, 2025 8:58amReport post

edel2020

Member since
March 2022

488 posts

Hi,

LFF do a young persons Inform course, although not specifically for autistic teens, it should cover the main issues.

He could also look at this website

https://shorespace.org.uk/

which is run by LFF and is aimed at teens

Posted Tue April 1, 2025 10:04amReport post

LurcherMum

Member since
March 2025

2 posts

Hi, thanks for coming back to me. Is there age limit 18 though? He's chronologically 20 now but has low maturity if that makes sense?

Posted Tue April 1, 2025 10:45amReport post

Lucy from Stop it Now!

Member since
September 2018

543 posts

Dear LurcherMum,

We wanted to contribute to this thread as we understand that you have some questions about the Inform Young People’s (YP) programme. We are pleased that you want to be proactive in finding some professional support for your son to help educate him about the risks of the online environment and how to stay safe online moving forward. Our practitioners work with a range of different young people, including those with autism or specific learning needs. We hope you will find it helpful to know that the material can be tailored and adapted according to the needs of the young person.

The programme can be accessed by adults in their early 20’s if deemed more suitable for young people’s work rather than our adult programmes, for example due to a lower age of maturity. If you would like to learn more about the Inform YP programme, you can find more information here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/inform-young-people/

We would encourage you to contact our helpline on 0808 100 900 to discuss the Inform YP programme in more detail. The advisor can then learn a bit more about your situation and advise on the most appropriate route for your son to access one of our psychoeducational programmes.

Kind regards,

The Forum Team

Posted Wed April 2, 2025 9:56amReport post

LittleRobin3

Member since
April 2024

595 posts

Hi, when I read what you've posted, I thought I was reading something I'd written - literally!
My son is 20, he's Autistic and at age 15 developed severe ME. He dropped out of school. He has no friends and has been through significant traumas including homelessness and PTSD following the knock. That's where our stories differ. My son experienced the knock when he was 12. His Dad was arrested and sent to prison. He's recently reoffended and is due to be sentenced on Monday, so more trauma for us.
Would it be ok to message you? X

Posted Thu April 3, 2025 9:55amReport post

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