Autism News - June 2003

There will be a charge of £4 a day at each scheme (£6 a day where transport is required) but a light lunch will be provided. Please complete the registration form and return it to me at Flanshaw Childrens’ Centre (see above). Places will be limited so an early response is advisable. We cannot guarantee that everyone who wants a place will be successful.

If you are not sure which scheme would be most suitable for your child, please feel free to give me a ring for a chat. (Details on bottom of following page.)

If your child is successful in gaining a place, a more detailed form will be sent to you requesting further details about any support needs/ special requirements that your child may have.

We are presently recruiting staff for all these schemes but are always looking for volunteers to help – so please let me know if you are willing to lend a hand (or do you know someone who is?).

(28^th July – August 2^nd)

Kitty’s Summer Scheme My child is 5-7 yrs

(28^th July – August 1st) My child is 8-12 yrs

Tigers’ Summer Scheme

(August 4^th – 8^th)

Our Support Group Stand in The Ridings Shopping Centre

The WSGA saw Autism Awareness Week off to a good start when we held an Autism Awareness Day in the Ridings. We had a prime position on the Ground Floor outside Wm. Morrison’s and many people visited the stand asking for information on ASD and the support group. We met some very nice, interesting people and heard many of the all too familiar heart-rending stories. (One lady told us about her grandson who was autistic and lived down south. She said we were the first people she had talked to about autism in twelve years!)

The day was a big success and we were given radio coverage by Ridings FM, who interviewed two of our committee members and generally gave the groupsome good publicity. Although we didn’t hold a collection, we were delighted to receive nearly fifty-five pounds in donations from the public and it became very clear just how big a sector of society has family members affected by autism.

I believe that everyone who helped out at the stand really enjoyed themselves but I’d just like to thank all concerned for giving up some valuable weekend time.

All members who worked hard obtaining signatures supporting last November’s " Call for Action" should now take a bow. Due to the efforts of people like these across the country, families affected by Autism finally made their voices heard when the "Call for Action" was presented to Parliament on Wednesday, 18^th May. The All Party Parliamentary Group for Autism lodged their Manifesto as an Early Day Motion No. 1164 (asking MPs to sign in support of the Motion) and the whole event was televised.

Terry Rutherford, who visited Wakefield collecting signatures during his UK tour, attended a special reception last Wednesday in the House of Commons to launch the Manifesto and to rally support for the Early Day Motion. Terry said he

spoke to many influential people who displayed great interest and concern regarding autism. He was also promised support by many, including a lady member of the House of Lords, whose remit is SEN Inclusion

Ridings FM and Radio Leeds gave this event tremendous coverage and highlighted our group’s involvement with the CFA – for which I thank them. Special thanks must also go to our Patron, Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen (who very kindly did a recorded interview with Ridings FM) and to Dr Peter Coia of Fieldhead Hospital who certainly deserves our congratulations for his early morning ‘live’ interview on autism with Radio Leeds. I think we are very lucky to have been supported by two such eminent professionals.

It seems Wakefield made a big impact with our media coverage of this event and I am told we were the only group in the country referred to and given a full page on the BBC News website. Terry Rutherford and Carole Barber rang to tell me this and asked me to pass on their sincere thanks to all who supported the Call for Action and say "didn’t we do well!"

. Carole

The new Parent Partnership Co-ordinator, Liz Gordon was introduced to the meeting.

Liz will take up her new role at the end of August when her contract as an SEN Early Years Teacher in Kirklees, ends. Liz joins Gary and Rebecca.

At the meeting, Jim Winters introduced the LEA's SEN 5 year strategic plan, which requires public consultation before being ratified by the Council.

16^th June at Castleford Civic Centre 7pm-9pm

18^th June at Wakefield Town Hall 17pm-9pm

23^rd June at Minsthorpe School 7pm-9pm

The last day for comments is the 19^th July 2003. The final plan will be published at the end of September 2003.

The meeting requested that there were similar meetings held during the day Jim Winters will make the necessary arrangements and publicise dates.

The document "Achievement for All" will shortly be available from libraries; however copies can be obtained by ringing 01924 305501 or Email: jspruce@wakefield.gov.uk

My main concern is that one autism resource attached to a mainstream secondary school is considered sufficient (20 places) and there are no plans to replicate this provision elsewhere in the District.

On the plus side, Special Schools will remain. The school population is expected to diminish from 440 to 370 by 2007.

Colin Berry from Social & Housing Care advised the meeting that their directory of services was at the printers and that arrangements for the Summer Playschemes were well advanced.

Anyone wanting details about the various playschemes should contact Caroline Slater on 01924 302291

Some days ago a cycling friend who rather spookily inhabits our former home passed to me a recent article in the New Scientist magazine which describes a theory that both Einstein and Newton may have had Autism or more particularly Asperger Syndrome.

While this is not in itself "new stuff", because Laura has mentioned the same likelihood to me many times during the past few years, this possibility was recently co-investigated by our patron, Simon Baron-Cohen at Cambridge University and a mathematician, Ioan James of Oxford University. They both feel this possibility to be very strongly reinforced by contemporary accounts of both Einstein and Newton’s eccentric behaviour.

Beginning with Sir Isaac Newton, who they feel was a "classic" case. Apparently if no-one attended his lectures he would give them anyway, lecturing to an empty room. Otherwise he seldom spoke, giving the appearance of "off handedness" to his few friends, was sometimes so focused on his work he would omit to eat. Had a nervous breakdown at the age of 50 accompanied by paranoia and depression.

Regarding Einstein, they point out that up to the age of seven he obsessively repeated sentences, was a "notoriously confusing lecturer" and makes some other points to reinforce their view that he too may have had autism.

While Baron-Cohen and James both point to the impossibility of diagnosing after death, the main thrust of their theories in this article are contradicted, together with reasons by Glen Elliott, a psychiatrist from University of California, San Francisco.

All in all it’s an interesting read and is publicly available in full on the New Scientist web site http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993676 along with some links to older, intriguing related articles such as "autism no longer a rare condition", none of which I’ve yet looked at, but will.

Especially if we can’t find something to write about in this newsletter! Some one please write something?