Minister launches National network of Autism Champions...

[AGXStarseed]

(Not written by me)

MINISTER LAUNCHES NATIONAL NETWORK OF AUTISM CHAMPIONS

“The prize is giving people a good life” says Minister.

Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care and Support, launched a national network of Autism Champions before an invited audience at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace on Tuesday 10th March. Just over three weeks before World Autism Awareness Day on 2nd April. Attendees included Jane Asher, Matthew Flett of Goldman Sachs, Dame Stephanie Shirley and Sir Peter Vardy. The Champions Network forms a key strand in a national Autism Awareness campaign,“ Connect to Autism”, co-ordinated by the Autism Alliance UK and funded by the Department of Health. The five interconnecting strands are:


• A network of high-profile Autism Champions, willing to use their own ideas, experience and networks to advance the project.

• A network of national chains from the retail, financial and other sectors committed to making some of their venues autism-friendly in a pilot phase. With a view to adding more venues in a roll-out phase from July.

• Networks of local champions, committed to making their communities autism-friendly.

• The UK’s first online autism community: “Autism Connect” (www.autism-connect.org.uk), successfully piloted in the West Midlands with Department for Education funding and rolled out nationally on 12th March with Department of Health funding. “Autism Connect” allows people with autism to share experiences and to rate venues and services through “TripAdvisor”-style software.

• A simple autism charter, designed by people with autism, which sets out clear aims for autism-friendly venues. Venues which sign up to the charter have a window sticker inviting people to rate them on “Autism Connect”.


Addressing the meeting, Norman Lamb described the purpose of this awareness project as “enabling people to be fully part of their communities, and allowing people with autism to be equal citizens”. The project provides “a fantastic opportunity to make changes to people’s lives: the prize is giving people a good life”.

Autism Alliance Chair, John Phillipson, said the project was about restoring their communities to people with autism – too many people with autism face incomprehension, misunderstanding and even hostility. John Phillipson emphasized the value of training front line staff – in shops, cafes, job centers, police stations and much more: “these front line staff are often the gatekeepers to services, and a small amount of knowledge can make a huge difference to people with autism”.

Media enquiries: John Phillipson, Chair Autism Alliance UK, mobile 07989582623,
landline 0300 00 30 147.



Note to Editors:
500,000 people in England are living with autism – a lifelong condition which affects their understanding of the world and communication with other people. With the right support, people with autism can lead happy and rewarding lives, and many can be socially and economically independent.

The Autism Alliance is the UK’s main network of specialist autism charities, supporting many thousands of people with autism, and commissioning research on the causes of autism and on the value of different types of interventions.

Please find attached our autism charter and picture of Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care and Support.



SOURCE: MINISTER LAUNCHES NATIONAL NETWORK OF AUTISM CHAMPIONS

 

[AsheSkyler]

Looks rather interesting! =)

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

• A network of national chains from the retail, financial and other sectors committed to making some of their venues autism-friendly in a pilot phase. With a view to adding more venues in a roll-out phase from July.

Awesome. I wonder when it will occur to some of these folks that hiring people--giving the minor accommodations that can be arranged simply by understanding the strengths and stresses of the condition--would help create an autism-friendly venue. That hyperempathy thing can be excellent at detecting atmospheres, data-driven minds can focus on the issue and not on the disagreement, the loyalty thing helps stabilize employment if accommodations are allowed, and all the NTs present get to see a human being who's different--and valuable. And so forth.

• A simple autism charter, designed by people with autism, which sets out clear aims for autism-friendly venues. Venues which sign up to the charter have a window sticker inviting people to rate them on “Autism Connect”.

It would work for me. One of the employers I have my eye on has a director of diversity who actively leads the company in supporting autistic-friendly causes.

Addressing the meeting, Norman Lamb described the purpose of this awareness project as “enabling people to be fully part of their communities, and allowing people with autism to be equal citizens”.

Well-meant, but poorly spoken, I think. Isn't he really saying he's enabling people to extend their communality to people not like themselves? I think I'm fully a part of my community, but I'm a part that's only welcome on "partial" terms. Perhaps I'm picking nits.

 

[Spiller]

Another interesting proposal showing support for a sizeable segment of the population who've gone without help thus far but, like the 2009 change in Law that was meant to enable people with Autism and mental health issues access to services and, as yet, still doesn't, I'll believe this when I see it in action.
I'd like to believe this isn't just another ruse to get voters on-side before the General Elections in May, but I've had too much first hand experience of being fobbed off, passed around and being on waiting lists for services that don't actually even exist. I've also talked to parents who have been blatantly lied to by school authorities - being under the impression their kids are being assisted at school, only to find out that, despite being given grants for each child the school hasn't even employed qualified teaching assistants. So what did they do with the money then?
Wow, do I sound bitter or what.. but if the system is dirty from the ground up, how do I take this on faith?