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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics

@semascot.bsky.social

1.4K followers 730 following 590 posts

We strive to improve understanding of being autistic from the various communities of the Global Majority. www.sema.scot

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · Apr 14

Thank you to everyone who has walked with us, shared their stories, trusted us, challenged us, and believed that being radically inclusive isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Please vote for us here: www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2025/...

#NDA25

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics (SEMA)

I have been voted for an Award at The National Diversity Awards 2025 in association with @itvnews. Please vote for me #NDA25 #Nominate #VotingNowOpen

www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

We see their courage every day, and we are committed to ensuring that racialised Autistic girls have the recognition, resources, and respect they deserve.

— The SEMA team

#DayOfTheGirl
#TheGirlIAmTheChangeILead
#Neurodiversity
#Intersectionality
#SEMA

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

Through campaigns like Autistic Ramadan and contributing to resources such as NeuroBears’ “Unpacking Understanding”, we continue to challenge stereotypes and build visibility.

Girls are not waiting for equality. They are already leading change.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

Our support group offers Autistic and ADHD people of colour, including girls and young women, a safe space to connect and be heard.

We contribute to policy development ensuring racialised Autistic voices shape the future.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

At SEMA, we work to change this narrative.

Our work centres on representation, training, and lived experience.

Through the Autistic Adult Support Fund, we created resources exploring intersectional perspectives in education, employment, and womanhood.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

For racialised and neurodivergent girls, these inequalities deepen. Many grow up unseen by education systems, unrecognised in healthcare, and unheard in conversations about leadership or womanhood.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

📊 Did you know?

▪ 133 million girls are out of school today.

▪ Almost 4 in 10 adolescent girls do not finish upper secondary education.

▪ 1 in 4 married or partnered girls aged 15–19 has experienced intimate partner violence.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 2h

This year’s theme for International Day of the Girl Child is “The girl I am, the change I lead”, it honours girls on the frontlines of crisis, those shaping their futures despite systemic inequality. Yet the global picture shows how far there is still to go.

#DayoftheGirl #GenerationEquality

A graphic by Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics (SEMA) for International Day of the Girl Child, dated 11 October 2025. The background shows young girls of colour playing together on a playground. The text reads: “The girl I am is not defined by barriers but by how I move through them.”

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

▪ We amplify community voices through storytelling and campaigns that remind Scotland’s systems that mental health support must include everyone.Access is not only about reaching services. It is about ensuring those services understand who they are reaching.

— The SEMA team

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

▪ In policy work, including our input to the Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodivergency (LDAN) Bill, we continue to advocate for services that reflect real lives and identities.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

▪ Through training, consultations and resources funded by the Autistic Adult Support Fund, we will help professionals recognise the impact of intersectional barriers on wellbeing and access.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

At SEMA, we see mental health as inseparable from equity and understanding.

▪ We hold a support group for Racialised Autistic and AuDHD people, creating community and belonging where isolation often grows.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

For many racialised Autistic and ADHD people, crisis is not limited to global emergencies. It often exists within everyday systems, through inaccessible healthcare, delayed assessments, and cultural or racial barriers that prevent people from being heard.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 1d

This year’s theme, “Mental health in humanitarian emergencies”, reminds us that mental health support is not a luxury. It is a necessity that must reach everyone, especially those already living at the margins of care.

#MentalHealthMatters
#SEMA

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 5d

You can see the artwork at Forth Valley Royal Hospital this week, at the Bellfield Centre in Stirling next week, and then at the Spiers Centre in Alloa from 20th October.

You can read our stories in our e-books, available on our website under Projects.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 5d

As part of the Forth Valley Black History Month celebrations, we were invited to share our stories as Black Autistics, since our project heard from the majority of Scottish Black Autistics earlier this year.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 5d

We are delighted to share that our original artwork from the "Our Lived Experiences" project, funded by the Autistic Adult Support Fund, is on display this month around the Forth Valley.

#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackWhileAutistic #OurStories #LivedExperience #ForthValley

Poster for “Travelling Creations”, a mobile art exhibition celebrating Black History Month 2025 across Forth Valley. The poster has a black background with three photos: one of an artwork displayed in a library, one showing three people standing behind framed artworks, and one of a person standing between two stone columns. Exhibition dates and locations are listed:

FVRH, Falkirk: 6th–10th October

Bellfield Centre, Stirling: 13th–17th October

Spiers Centre, Alloa: 20th–24th October

Text below reads:
“A vibrant, mobile art exhibition celebrating Black History Month 2025, that will travel across Forth Valley throughout October. ‘Standing firm in power & pride.’”

At the bottom are logos for Artlink Central and Black History Month Forth Valley, along with a QR code.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 7d

You can read our joint report here 🔗 arghighland.co.uk/new-disgnosi...

#AutismInScotland
#AutisticRights
#NeurodivergentScotland
#DisabilityJustice
#SEMA

New Report Highlights Urgent Need for Change in Autism Assessment Services Across Scotland – ARGH

arghighland.co.uk

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 7d

We are glad that Parliament and the Minister are interested in hearing from us, but we are also more interested in what action will be taken to improve our lives.

Many thanks to Leo from AMASE for coming along to support Sofia! It was their first time meeting in real life!

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 7d

Instead of improving pathways as the understanding of Autism improves in our society, we have seen closure of pathways, continued gatekeeping and limited access to support.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 7d

On the 24th, I had the opportunity to present the findings of a survey on autism assessment experiences—a vital research piece that brought together Scottish Autism, ARGH, AMASE, and SEMA.

Although the research was conducted in 2023, the situation has actually declined for Autistics in Scotland.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 9d

▪ We host events and webinars where Autistic voices of olour are amplified and placed at the centre.

Non-violence for us is active. It means dismantling inequity and creating environments where racialised Autistic people are respected, included, and valued.

#InternationalDayOfNonViolence

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 9d

▪ We deliver training and consultancy that help organisations confront bias and create safer spaces.

▪ We run a support group for Black, Brown & Asian Autistic adults, offering a safe space to connect, share, and be understood.

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 9d

(see post shared from Asiatu Lawoyin)

At SEMA, we are doing our best to challenge this, and we are always working to do more.

▪ We asked for the Different Minds Autism Myth-Busting booklets be translated in nine languages, challenging stigma and sparking conversations in minority communities.

asiatu.coach

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 9d

2 October marks the International Day of Non-Violence, a reminder that peace is not only the absence of conflict but the presence of dignity, justice, and respect.

Violence is not always physical. It shows up as systemic exclusion, cultural stigma, and barriers to access.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 11d

Join us by
▪ Sharing our multilingual resources with your networks
▪ Partnering with us to expand access and reach new communities
▪ Encouraging stories of neurodiversity in every language

In language, we find connection. In translation, we find inclusion.

#SEMA