British Prime Minister To Act On Autism

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 27 Mar 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair has pledged to act on Autism -Leading British parliamentarian, Lee Scott MP who recently launched an important debate on Autism in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster in London asked the Prime Minister a question at PriMinister's Question Time in the House of Commons on Wednesday 21st March 2007. Mr. Scott wore his autism awareness ribbon to support all people with autism - the Ilford North also mentioned the work of Ivan Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK and the National Autistic Society.

The Prime Minister Tony Blair speaking in the House of Commons at PMQs said: ' Autism is a very serious issue that has to be taken seriously by our medical services and schools.' The PM has agreed to meet with Lee Scott MP and Ivan Corea.

Ivan Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK said: 'I am delighted that autism was featured on Prime Minister's Question time and delighted that the Prime Minister Tony Balir views it as a serious issue.'

The Autism Awareness Campaign UK are calling on Tony Blair 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 are among the issues they wish the Prime Minister Tony Blair to address before he leaves office in the summer.

Autism affects around 587,000 people in the UK according to the National Autistic Society.Autism may affect upto one in 100 children in the United Kingdom - the condition is now more common in the UK and numbers are rising. In ten years time there could be significant numbers of autistic children and demand will probarby outweigh supply - hence the call of autism campaigners to act now.

The Autism Awareness Campaign UK was founded in 2000 by parents Ivan and Charika Corea who have a 11 year old son, Charin who has autism spectrum disorder.

2002 Autism Awareness Year was an idea initiated by Ivan and Charika Corea - it was supported by 800 UK Organisations.

http://www.ukautism.com

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