It has been a complete disaster. Because his first real problem came after a violent episode involving the Police, and a subsequent revelation that he was being abused by a much older woman, we have seen the whole spectrum of state agencies from Social Services to CAMHS to CMHC to Youth Offenders.

With one or two individual exceptions the attitude has been to avoid getting involved and, in some cases, actually pretend that “it’s nothing to do with us”.

Our local CMHC even suggested that as Asperger was incurable they could not offer any help. When pressured, they did admit that there was a unit which specialised in 16/18 year olds. They offered to see him but the CMHC refused to refer him because he had not signed their treatment form. I subsequently discovered that this unit has two quasi qualified staff to cover the whole of East Lancashire.

Our local branch of the NAS doesn’t want to know because they don’t deal with the 16/18 age. They don’t even reply to communications.

We have lived for two years with a child who is in desperate need of help. We have lived under the permanent threat of violence to property and person. The only advice we have been given is to call the Police if we are worried!!
We have reached a point where we feel that having him sectioned would at least force the medical profession to take an interest. Unfortunately we also know that he will not get the right care and attention.

I have no doubt that we are one family in many who have similar problems.

Your blog is exellent but we are the only people reading it.
How can we get this terrible state of affairs into tho public conciousness?

Diarmid

Autism Awareness Month, celebrated every year in April, provides a great opportunity for families, friends, and local communities to raise public awareness about autism.

We believe – as many of you do – that raising awareness about this complex developmental disability that affects an individual’s social interaction and communication is something that only begins when the month of April ends. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as one out of every 150 births. We need to raise awareness for the children and adults living with autism every day throughout the year.

A Great Way to Get Involved

This year, the Prism Gallery, which is supported by the National Network of Digital Schools, has established a professional gallery which will exhibit the work of child and adult artists living with autism. The gallery exists to raise awareness about autism and celebrate the artistic abilities of these individuals. The Prism Gallery will open on June 2, 2007 in a space at the Beaver Valley Mall.

Artists of all ages are invited to submit slides, CDs or digital entries of their original artwork for possible acceptance. The exhibition is open to artists with autism working in all media including painting drawing, printmaking, sculpture, video, installation.

In order to maintain the highest professional quality, Nicole Dezelon from the Warhol Museum has agreed to jury the adult (ages 18+) submissions.

Children’s (ages 17 and younger) submissions will be used in the first exhibition or placed in a subsequent exhibition if space does not permit for all of the entries.

The deadline for all entries is April 30, 2007

For more information or copies of additional entry forms, please visit our website – http://nndsonline.org/prismgallery/index.html. Also, feel free to contact Vallene Weeda at (866)990-6637 ext 1171or vallene.weeda@nndsonline.org

Sincerely,

Vallene Weeda
Coordinator
Prism Gallery