providing support for those affected by
autism and Asperger's syndrome
autism and Asperger's syndrome
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News, events and activities
BIG LOTTERY RESEARCH FUND
Autism london and stakeholders are delighted to announce that they have received a grant from the Big Lottery Research Programme. Working to gain a better understanding of crimes against people with autism and learning disabilities and how it impacts on their lives Autism London has received £348,333. The Medway based project, Living in Fear: Promoting Better Outcomes for People with Disabilities will use local focus groups and national surveys to research into the nature of hate crime, responses and barriers to reporting, and will identify and address gaps in how crime against people with autism and learning disabilities is recorded and handled by community safety agencies, including the police.
The key aims of the project will be to promote greater safety and well-being within the community, to provide an evidence base to policy makers and improve the support and services on offer to people with autism andlearning disabilities. The three- year project, will be led by Autism London and steered by people with autism and learning disabilities, working in partnership with the Tizzard Centre at the University of Kent, and will benefit over 500 individuals and 20 organisations.
A number of excellent safety initiatives can be found in the UK however there is little robust evidence to inform policy and practice, especially concerning the experiences of people with autism. There is a strong commitment from all the stakeholders in this project, to make a real difference by filling the gaps in knowledge and where necessary, making real and lasting change.
autism london recently hosted a Transitions Conference on Tuesday 24th November 2009.
EMBRACING ASPIRATIONS - Supporting Lifetime transitions with a person centred approach
Key note speaker: Dame Phillippa Russell
Other speakers include: Ros Blackburn & Joe McDaniel
Topics discussed: Young love, Person Centred Planning, National policy and more.
Graham Ogilvie
On Tuesday 24th November autism london hosted a very successful conference titled: Embracing Aspirations: Supporting Lifetime Transitions with a Person Centred Approach. The theme of the conference was Transition as seen from a lifetime perspective and not just from child to adult services.
Dame Philippa Russell who is currently the Chair, Standing Commission on Carers opened the conference with a key note speech on the topic of the national perspective. She referred to the recent publication of Families matter: Think family’ – a National Carers Strategy Carers at the heart of 21st Century Families and Communities’ – a ten year strategy with a vision that ‘by 2018 carers will be universally recognised and valued as being fundamental to strong families and stable communities. It gives Recognition that families go through multiple transitions and that high quality support for their relatives is the best support for carers!
Darren Spillane, Gordan Boxall, Ernest Ricketts
Transition in context – a range of multi-agency policy initiatives affecting disabled young people and their families
- The Independent Living Review
- Putting People First
- Valuing People Now
- Aiming High for Disabled Children
- ODI and Equality 2025
- The Right to Control
- The Autism Strategy
- The Equalities and Human Rights Agenda
- A National Strategy for Carers
- Health and Social Care Bill
- And the ‘big policy drivers’ for disabled young people AND families over the next decade!
- Personalisation - Direct payments and individual budgets – developing the role of families (and disabled young people) as creators of their own personal support and services.
- ‘Putting People First’ – new social care concordat for adult social care, with emphasis on choice and personal control – interesting issues about developing the market place for personal care (and relationship of individual budgets to health and education services).
Ros Blackburn
Ros Blackburn an adult with autism who at eighteen months was diagnosed very severely autistic but with average intellectual ability entertained the audience, giving insight into her own experiences and the care and education practices she has observed. In spite of the severe limitations imposed by her condition, Ros displays great courage (and a strong sense of humour) in facing her fears and tackling life’s challenges.Her position can best be summarised as an insistence on the need for high expectations for people with ASD linked with equally high levels of support.
In a quote from her mother, Ros pleads that one should ‘never make autism the excuse, but help the person overcome the problems caused by it’.
Other speakers included Joe McDaniel who spoke round Person Centre Planning. He was joined by two service users whom he is currently helping develop their plans. Colin Guests spoke on the victimisation of people with autism within the community and Lucia Winters from the National Transition Team informed us on the Legislative framework and the National Policy and guidance that has recently been published. Finally Rea Danielle talked around social and relationship building skills and “Sweet Talk” a group that she facilitates and Daniel McMillan enlightened the audience on “Young Love” the importance of friendships, independence, relationships and sexuality.
All and all it was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative day!
If you would like a copy of any of the speakers powerpoint presentations please email: info@autismlondon.org.uk
autism london Summer Outing 2009
It was great to see the smiles on the faces of fifty children and their carers as a spectacular double decker coach rolled up outside the offices of Autism London on Wednesday 12th August. This would be our transport for the day as we set off to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex and Brighton Beach for the autism london summer outing.
Thanks to the funding we received from Help A London Child we were able to organise this excellent trip at no cost to the families who thoroughly enjoyed the day's activities! Here are some of the quotes and pictures from the day.
We took the coach to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex and had a ride on a steam train (30 minutes each way). After a lovely picnic at the Sheffield Park station we got back on the coach for an afternoon by the sea at Brighton, where we wandered through the cobbled lanes, strolled along the promenade and a brave few even took a dip in the bracing water!!
We arrived back in London at approximately 7pm where we said goodbye to our group of happy but exhausted families as they thanked us for a wonderful day!
To those of you who couldn't make it on this trip, we hope you can join in the fun next year!
autism london staff, Maria, Amy and Ethney in Brighton.
Feedback from some of our families:
"...there were not any problems, we just had a great time..."
"Thank you for arranging this lovely day out!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day..."
"It was a great chance to meet people on various parts of the spectrum."
"...everything was good..."
"Thank you for your hard work and effort in making it possible for us to enjoy this trip."
If you have any comments or suggestions about this item, please contact Ethney on: 020 77041928 or e-mail ethney on ethney@autismlondon.org.uk
Autism Bill completes its progress through the House of Commons
The Autism Bill passed its final stage in the House of Lords on 22 October 2009 to become England?s first ever disability-specific law. It received Royal Assent on 12th November, which means that the Bill is officially the Autism Act, under which the Government?s forthcoming adult autism strategy will be legally enforceable and must be published within the next six months.
The Bill is intended to provide better information about the numbers of people with autism and their needs and to improve local planning and delivery of services. The Bill makes provisions in three main areas, relating to information gathering, the delivery of services to people with autism, and the transition to adult services.
The Autism Act will guarantee the introduction of the first-ever adult autism strategy, which will set out how local services should be improved to meet the needs of adults with autism. The strategy will cover a range of issues including health, social care, employment and training and will be accompanied by guidance which places a legal obligation on local authorities and NHS bodies to meet certain requirements. UK Parliament website.
Two recent publications concerning autism
If you are interested to find out more about current political thinking regarding autism and Asperger Syndrome, then read the recent report by the National Audit Office entitled "Supporting People with Autism Throughout Adulthood" or contribute by sending in a response to the Department of Health's Autism Strategy Consultation.
Fact finding visit by senior civil servant
Hugh Taylor (left) talks to a member of the autism london Asperger's Group
On 27th May 2009 autism london received a visit from Hugh Taylor, the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, who wished to hear about the issues facing adults with autistic spectrum conditions. Mr Taylor is the most senior civil servant at the Department of Health, so this was an excellent opportunity for autism london to raise issues they wanted considered by the government. Hugh Taylor had discussions with members of the autism london Asperger's Group group and carers and individuals who have been supported through our helpline. It was a very good meeting, and many pertinent points were raised.
Hugh Taylor appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on 15th June to speak about supporting people with autism through adulthood; check here to watch the proceedings.
Gary McKinnon - Support Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society's petition
The 43-year-old, who suffers from Asperger Syndrome, is wanted for trial on charges of hacking into US military networks. SAAS have organised an online petition urging the government to halt the extradition of Gary McKinnon. To sign the petition visit this site
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