| Autism Awareness Week |
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| What\'s On | |
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Ivan and Charika Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK have issued a call in Autism Awareness Week (which falls on 17-24 May in 2004) for Her Majesty's Government to support autistic children and adults from Britain's ethnic minority Communities. Autism is on the rise in the ethnic population in the UK including the Chinese Community. It is astonishing that we have no real statistical data across the UK of people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome from the ethnic minorities. Parents, carers and autists are calling for urgent government action in 2004. A postcode lottery to health,education, specialist speech therapy and respite care still exists. Many struggle without access to public services. There is a shortage of SEN teachers and speech therapists from the ethnic minorities. Some ethnic parents remain confused, they do not know who to turn to when their children are diagnosed with autism. Ivan Corea said, 'We also need the government to address the serious problems of autistic people from the ethnic minorities and the labour market.' The size of the minority ethnic population was 4.6 million in 2001 or 7.9 per cent of the total population of the United Kingdom. The Government will have to take into account the demographic changes in the UK. Ivan and Charika Corea, Chair of the Autism of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK have called on Prime Minister Tony Blair - during Autism Awareness Week 2004 - to provide the personalisation of public services for the 520,000 Autistic Community and the 90,000 autistic children in the United Kingdom. Many adults and children with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome are suffering as a result of not having public services in health, education, specialist speech therapy and respite care. Discrimination is taking place in 2004, even in Autism Awareness Week, despite such legislation as the DDA and the RR(A) Acts. Some councils deliberately withhold public services to people with autism on the grounds of cost. 'We are asking Tony Blair, empower us, give us control over funding - a personalised, individual, tailor - made package so that parents, carers and autists can shop around for badly needed public services,' said Ivan Corea. A Personalised package will give people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome control over their lives, it will offer better choice and alternatives. 'It will give our children hope and access to structured support. This is far better than having no public services at all,' he said. According to the Autism Awareness Campaign UK such a move will also sharpen councils, social services, local education authorities and NHS Trusts who will not be able to take the Autistic Community for granted. For further particulars please access the website: |
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