Asperger's and Unemployment statistics?

One further caution on the statistics. Anything coming out of the "Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives" initiative may only represent people on the spectrum seeking support. It might tackle those with diagnoses - but how, as some authorities don't have diagnosis centres?

It probably won't pick up on those with private diagnoses, some of whom have been forced to pay because they cannot access n NHS diagnostic team, only then to find they cannot get support because they haven't got an NHS diagnosis.

It won't find out about people without a diagnosis or living with the wrong diagnosis.

But then what about people who've moved to another health authority since diagnosis and haven't claimed or haven't been able to prove their need for support (such as because they are deemed to be "cured")?  What about homeless people on the spectrum who shuffle around the country where they can get help?

It may be we will never know about the statistics of adults on the spectrum.

If I can draw a parallel, which may be a familiar issue to some parents, there are a lot of very tall or very broad people on the spectrum who have trouble getting clothes. Why is this?

Well it is not in the vested interests of the clothing industry to accept the existance of an outsize market which might be less profitable. So they ensure the statistics cannot be collected, and even put out stories that tall or large people aren't as big a proportion of the population as is believed. Something similar happens to short people.

Several department/chain clothing stores produce data on what people purchase from their stores, or use exit polls of a sample of customers. But this is a "chicken and egg" dilemma.

If they don't have large or tall or small sizes to sell, no-one will buy any, so these sizes wont appear in the exit poll or till receipts. Yet these statistics are used to prove that there is no demand for above or below average sizes.

Worse some of these stores sell on their data to smaller businesses for profit, even though they know the results are poorly derived. This perpetuates an industry view that very tall, very broad or very small customers are few and far between.

The fact is the most profit lies in selling to Mr Average.

Likewise with the autistic spectrum, National and local Government want to hide the fact there's a growing problem. And I'm afraid it will stay like that for a very long time.

One further caution on the statistics. Anything coming out of the "Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives" initiative may only represent people on the spectrum seeking support. It might tackle those with diagnoses - but how, as some authorities don't have diagnosis centres?

It probably won't pick up on those with private diagnoses, some of whom have been forced to pay because they cannot access n NHS diagnostic team, only then to find they cannot get support because they haven't got an NHS diagnosis.

It won't find out about people without a diagnosis or living with the wrong diagnosis.

But then what about people who've moved to another health authority since diagnosis and haven't claimed or haven't been able to prove their need for support (such as because they are deemed to be "cured")?  What about homeless people on the spectrum who shuffle around the country where they can get help?

It may be we will never know about the statistics of adults on the spectrum.

If I can draw a parallel, which may be a familiar issue to some parents, there are a lot of very tall or very broad people on the spectrum who have trouble getting clothes. Why is this?

Well it is not in the vested interests of the clothing industry to accept the existance of an outsize market which might be less profitable. So they ensure the statistics cannot be collected, and even put out stories that tall or large people aren't as big a proportion of the population as is believed. Something similar happens to short people.

Several department/chain clothing stores produce data on what people purchase from their stores, or use exit polls of a sample of customers. But this is a "chicken and egg" dilemma.

If they don't have large or tall or small sizes to sell, no-one will buy any, so these sizes wont appear in the exit poll or till receipts. Yet these statistics are used to prove that there is no demand for above or below average sizes.

Worse some of these stores sell on their data to smaller businesses for profit, even though they know the results are poorly derived. This perpetuates an industry view that very tall, very broad or very small customers are few and far between.

The fact is the most profit lies in selling to Mr Average.

Likewise with the autistic spectrum, National and local Government want to hide the fact there's a growing problem. And I'm afraid it will stay like that for a very long time.