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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics

@semascot.bsky.social

1.4K followers 730 following 580 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 · 23h

▪ 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 · 23h

▪ 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 · 23h

▪ 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 · 23h

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 · 23h

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 · 23h

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 · 4d

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 · 4d

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 · 4d

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 · 6d

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 · 6d

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 · 6d

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 · 6d

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 · 8d

▪ 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 · 8d

▪ 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 · 8d

(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 · 8d

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 · 10d

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

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 10d

Translation matters because autism is understood differently across cultures. Without accessible resources, stigma and misinformation thrive. Our work shows what is possible when inclusion speaks every language.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 10d

▪︎ Our current EMDF project (funded by National lottery Community fund Scotland) will produce more translated resources on topics like PDA, monotropism, accessing work & transitions.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 10d

▪ We deliver webinars that tackle myths, rights, support, and anti-racism in ways that connect with minority communities.

▪ We use a neuro-affirming framing of Autistic experiences, shared in multiple languages, to build dialogue across cultures.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 10d

On our website, you’ll find how we put this into practice:

🔗 sema.scot/autism/

▪ Our Autism Myth Busting booklets are available in Arabic, Gaelic, Polish, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, and English- part of the Different Minds Campaign by Scot Gov

Autism - SEMA.Scot

Autism Translated information on autism Autism is a neurotype that has many different meanings in different cultures. The neuro-affirming way to understand autism is to balance the strengths and diffi...

sema.scot

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 10d

30 September marks #InternationalTranslationDay, a celebration of the bridges language creates. At Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics (SEMA), translation is more than words. It is about ensuring autistic people from all communities can access respect, dignity, and understanding.

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Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 26d

If you work in education, healthcare, or support services, we hope you will read, share and talk to us. These are the conversations that can save lives.

#AutismAcceptance
#RejectionSensitivity
#SuicideAwareness
#Neurodiversity
#SEMAScotland

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics @semascot.bsky.social · 26d

🧠 Read the full piece on
Rejection Sensitivity, Elopement and Suicide – How They Are Connected here:

👉 sema.scot/rejection-sensitivity-elopement-and-suicide-how-they-are-connected/

Rejection Sensitivity, Elopement, and Suicide- How They Are Connected - SEMA.Scot

This week has been Suicide Prevention Week. It’s not the awareness of suicides happening around that we need. It’s the causes and what we can do to stem them. It […]

sema.scot

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