Autism Campaigners in the United Kingdom have urged the British Prime Minister Tony Blair to end the postcode lottery to autism services. Ivan and Charika Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK are calling on the Prime Minister to conduct an urgent review into public services and autism.
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK are seriously concerned that a postcode lottery exists where public services are concerned - in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care for the 587.000 people with autism in the UK. Many struggle without access to proper public services. Some autistic children are not being given statements by local councils.Autistic children cannot get the services their children without proper statements - services they might need in order to develop their full potential.
'We are urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to end the postcode lottery to autism services. Life is a hard struggle for many parents and carers and people with autism. There are children who do not have statements and they have no access to the services they so desperately need. We are asking Tony Blair to look into the whole area of autism as a matrer of urgency, before he leaves office in the summer and formulate plans for autism - to end the suffering. Children with autism have so much potential - they have the right to an education, to health services.Equality of opportunity should embrace all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome,' said Ivan Corea.
Ivan and Charika Corea set up the Autism Awareness Campaign in the United Kingdom in 2000. Since then they have been campaigning non-stop, without funding, for better public services and independent research. The UK couple have a 11 year son, Charin who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Their campaign came out of the struggle to access public services for Charin.
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK are calling on the on Government to undertake a 10 year program of building specialist autism schools, building autism units in mainstream primary and secondary schools, tackle the failure of some secondary schools in bringing in educational strategies to deal with autistic children in a mainstream setting, access to further education and higher education, labour market opportunities for people with autism and to tackle the whole question of bullying and autistic children, the provision of recreational activities for autistic children.
The campaigners are calling on the UK government to make radical changes in policy. The whole issue of 'patchy services' was raised by the influential British parliamentarian, Lee Scott MP for Ilford North in a question to Prime Minister Tony Blair in Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday 21st March 2007 in the House of Commons in London. Tony Blair said that Autism was a serious issue. He is poised to meet with Lee Scott MP, Ivan Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK and the National Autstic Society. Lee Scott MP initiated a major debate on autism in parliament in March now regarded as one of the most important debates on public services and autism. There is huge momemtum as a result of the debate on autism in Westminster Hall.
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK are also calling on the Government to launch data a collection program across the UK to determine the exact number of people with autism.
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