By Ivan Corea
Head of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK

It's history in the making.....the United Nations General Assembly in New York has declared Wednesday 2nd April 2008 as World Autism Awareness Day. This is the first ever World Autism Day and we certainly have to thank Qatar for proposing this day and seeing it through.

This is a historic moment at the United Nations. General Assembly officials have told me that it is being taken seriously, it will probarbly be announced at the UN General Assembly and a report will be issued after 2nd April.

In our hi-tech world the message has been flashed all over the globe via Facebbook and within a few weeks facebookers all over the world are organising awareness raising events as far afield as Indonesia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Canada........this is great news.....autism is a very serious education and health issue around the world....there are 60 million people with autism and numbers are rising.

Here in the UK there are over 500,000 people with autism. According to UK researchers 1 in 100 children may have autism. In 10 years time there could be well over a million people with autism hence our call to 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 Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon is well placed to take the autism agenda forward across the globe. If there are 60 million people with autism around the world how are parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome surving in the Third World? Who is looking after the interests of the poor?

The Autism Awareness Campaign UK is urging the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to come up with a world strategy on autism and reach out to those who are below the poverty line in the Third World. They desperately need help. Teachers need training on autism and Asperger's Syndrome; there really needs to be specialist autism schools, employment schemes, help for the elderly, respite care, specialist speech therapy, more sheltered accommodation for people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

United Nations agencies must reach out to parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome around the world. Early intervention is key - children with autism in Africa and Asia and parts of South America have a human right to a wold class education. At the moment they are not having access to even a basic education. Because of culture some children are kept at home out of sight. Autism is also confused with mental illness. We need to raise more awareness - these children have so much potential, so do the adults. World leaders need to harness that potential.

The first ever World Autism Awareness Day affords the opportunity for people in every country to raise awareness about autism and Asperger's Syndrome and raise funds for autism organisations and parent groups. Lets hope that the United Nations World Autism Day will be a call to genuine action on autism around the globe.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has the political clout to raise the serious education and health issues with world leaders. Leaders of the G8 countries need to reach out to all people with autism and Asperger's syndrome in the Third World. Let us hope and pray that the 2nd of April will be a start.....

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