PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN URGED TO ACT ON AUTISM

AUTISM ACTION DVD LAUNCHED IN AUTISM AWARENESS WEEK

Autism Campaigners have launched a DVD titled 'Autism Action' calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to back a national strategy on autism and a 10 year plan of action on autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The Autism DVD has been released during Autism Awareness Week which runs from 1st October - 7th October 2007.

The 'Autism Action' DVD was released by the Autism Awareness Campaign UK, the film is directed by top film maker, Ian McLeod. Over 500,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum, over 90,000 children have autism. According to UK researchers 1 in 100 children may have autism.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Leader of the Opposition David Cameron and Leader of the Liberal Democrats have all received copies of the Autism Action DVD.

The soundtrack of the film also contains the moving Nimal Mendis song for autism, sung by Birmingham based musician Rozagy who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. She is raising funds for Professor Simon Baron Cohen's Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University.

Ivan Corea said: 'Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Children's Secretary Ed Balls affirmed their commitment to disabled children at this year's Labour Party Conference in major speeches in Bournemouth. We now urge them to launch a national strategy, look at a building program of autism units in mainstream secondary schools, specialist autism schools and even consider turning special schools into SEN academies and even state of the art autism academies. Children with autism have tremendous potential they too deserve a world class education.'

'We also want the government to look at further education and higher education opportunities, an autism compact with employers and the debate on autism and the elderly,' said Mr.Corea.

Autism Awareness Week is being organised by the Autism Alliance.