UK Autism Campaign Urges Debate On Social Care And The Elderly With Autism

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 12 May 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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The Autism Awareness Campaign UK is urging the Minister Ivan Lewis to launch a debate on Social Care and the Elderly with Autism in the wake of his recent announcement. Autism is a neuro developmental disorder - over 500,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. In 10 years time there could be well over a million people with autism.

Campaigners are calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch a national strategy on autism and a 10 year plan of action on autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Ivan Corea, head of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK said: 'We urge Minister Ivan Lewis to launch a debate on social care and the elderly with autism. Who will look after them when they grow old? Many families with autism are below the poverty line -many will not be able to afford to care for the elderly with autism there is also a huge shortage of sheltered accomodation for the elderly with autism and very few residential places. Demand will outweigh supply particularly with the rising numbers of people with autism. This will reach crisis levels in 10 years time. We urge the Government to act - there are real concerns that the elderly with autism will have no one to care for them particularly the poor,' he said.

The Government recently announced plans to audit adults with autism. The call for proper data collection of children and adults with the condition first came in Autism 2002 - a major conference in 2002 Autism Awareness Year held at the King's Fund in London, UK. Over 800 British organisations supported AAY.

Whilst welcoming HM Government's support for a national strategy for autism called for by the Autism Awareness Campaign UK, campaigners are calling for better public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care and a fully comprehensive 10 year plan on autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

'Now is the time for action on autism - we need a radical shake up when it comes to public services and autism,' said Ivan Corea in London. He has appealed to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Secretary of Stafe for Children Ed Balls and Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson to provide better public services for parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

CNN report, 'Fighting for Autism' with CNN Anchor, Max Foster, please access the You Tube Channel: see here.

Autism Awareness Campaign UK