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Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru |
National Assembly for Wales |
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Bil Awtistiaeth (Cymru) drafft |
Draft Autism (Wales) Bill |
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Ffurflen Hawdd ei Darllen DAB07 |
Easy Read DAB07 |
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Ymateb gan: Dienw |
Evidence from: Anonymous |
I dont think it would be a good idea to lump it all together under other neurological developmental disorders.
It is so easy just to categorise people together so that we dont have to explain away their issues. I wouldnt say that this comes under the heading of a developmental disorder either as it implies that it has developed. It hasnt developed you were born with it.
I had hoped that our perceptions would have changed in the last 50 years, however sadly I have found that attitudes remain the same in many areas of Education and Health. I find that there are the same prejudices and assumptions regarding Dyslexia and Autism as existed when my son received his Stat Ed in 91 aged 7.
In 1991 it was an eye opener to me to find that the prejudices which I thought had gone in the 60's were still there and that teachers still knew nothing and believed that Dyslexic children were basically "mentally challenged" to use the politically correct phrase. However, these assumptions and lack of understanding of childrens Specific as opposed to Special Needs remain today as evidenced by a close friend of mine whose daughter teaches and has a child who is dyslexic. They view him has being "special" not in a positive way but in a way that because of their lack of understanding and therefore aspirations for him, he is unlikely to be given the opportunity to grow and expand and to achieve what he is capable of because he has effectively been "written off"
So if there are professional people within society today who still view Dyslexic Children as some oddity and quirky sort of child and look at people with Autism as beyond help I would be worried and I am sure that the people I know would be concerned that they would be viewed as suffering from a progressive developmental disorder and not as... This is how I was born and I need help to fit in with todays society..
There is quite a bit in the news this week relating to mental disorders and illness. In particular the quick fix of "happy pills" as being the solution to mental illness. Having grown up with a parent - my mother who for no fault of her own but had two brain injuries - I know only too well that the quick fix of antidepressants would not have been the answer. My step father at the moment is depressed. He has suffered from depression all his life for good reason - his family. He did have an appointment to see a Psychiatrist and perhaps they thought they could give him some pills!..lol...So I cancelled that appointment and have arranged for him to get Counselling. He does not suffer from Clinical Depression but is depressed for a reason. Therefore you have to treat the cause not the symptoms. If you or I lost our mobility and indpendence and were now reliant on other people to dress us and wash us then maybe that would be a situation that would cause us to be depressed as at 89 there is little to look forward to - that is his perception.
Autistic people need support in varying degrees depending on how severe their Autism is. Everyone is different. xxxx son xxxx would never ever be likely to be able to live independently and his Autism was severe. Other friends of mine whose son xxxx is now 18 could live independently with a low level of support. I think it is basically about educating the public, teachers and other health professionals that this is not a condition that has a quick fix or is treatable by medication etc but is a where a person sees the world differently and as such needs support to put into place the strategies that will enable them to interact and live within the community more easily.