An Aspergers Service in

Dorset: why its worth it!

CAAS
Misunderstood
Understood
Kate Cartwright Occupational Therapist, Community Adult Asperger Service (CAAS), East Dorset
Jo Mengell Occupational Therapist, Community Adult Asperger Service (CAAS), West Dorset
GP Practices
Health and Social Care
Employment/Housing
Police/Probation
Mental Health Services
Social Workers
Recovery Education Centre
Provision of information packs
Employment skills group
Workplace support
Training for employment
agencies

Partnership Board involvement
Close working with Social Care
Involving service user feedback
Equitable Pan Dorset Service


Psychology coping skills
group and individual work
Specialist OT Sensory
Integration assessment and
therapy [2]
Social Care Assessment and
interventions
OT independent Living skills
assessment [3]



Pan Dorset access to diagnosis
2
nd
opinion and consultation
Post Diagnostic Education
Group
Information for carers
Access to support groups
Contributing to national
research [4]


Employment
Support
Diagnosis

Community
Independence

Developing
services
CAAS implements this
strategy through:
Training
8eferences:
1. AuLlsm AcL 2009, 1hlnk AuLlsm SLraLegy 2014.
2. Leekham, S.8., nleLo, C., Llbby, S.!., Wlng, L., Could, !. uescrlblng Lhe
Sensory AbnormallLles of Chlldren and AdulLs wlLh AuLlsm. ! AuLlsm uev
ulsord. 2007, 37: 894-910.
3. 1omcheck, S., Lavesser, ., WaLllng, 8. 1he Scope of CccupaLlonal 1herapy
Servlces for lndlvlduals WlLh an AuLlsm SpecLrum ulsorder Across Lhe Llfe
Course. Am ! Cccup 1her. 2010, 64:123-136.
4. 8lLvo, 8.A., 8lLvo, L.8., CuLhrle, u., eL al. 1he 8lLvo AuLlsm Asperger
ulagnosLlc Scale 8evlsed (8AAuS-8): a scale used Lo asslsL Lhe dlagnosls of
auLlsm specLrum dlsorders ln adulLs: an lnLernaLlonal valldaLlon sLudy. !
AuLlsm uev ulsord. 2011, 41:894-910.




I can now think of many advantages
of Asperger's syndrome

Everything fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle

The sensory support has been BRILLIANT
and has made a big impact on my daily life


What our service users said
CAAS phone number: 01202 603873
CAAS emall: llana.murphy[dhufL.nhs.uk