In conjunction with the ongoing review into how Councils are responding to "Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives" I took the opportunity to raise several issues through the email comment option autism@dh.gis.gov.uk This doesn't acknowledge correspondence so I copied it to my MP who kindly forwearded to Mark Hoban MP, Minister for Employment, and I now have his reply.
Needless to say it reiterates policy and I don't feel it answers my questions. What I asked about was training of health professionals and the problems facing people on the spectrum in the workplace.
I emphasised three things: eye contact, sensory issues, and the level of understanding of how people at the abler end of the spectrum cope with work (which might inform the issues for those less able). My point about eye contact was how professionals could spot this problem in adults who compensated (for example, by looking at people's mouths). I pointed out that continued eye contact problems mean adults miss out on a lot of social interchange, so it remains a serious problem.
Regarding sensory issues I was concerned about how crucial this was in workplace environments and research was needed on the extent it might affect people on the spectrum in employment. My point about the abler end is that there are people on the spectrum in work, who have a lot of work experience, whose views are simply not taken into account. Study of those able to work might help those who find it difficult.
Well, while the Minister notes my concerns he assures me the government is "determined to help those who are able to work back into employment" - which suggests he doesn't make a distinction between those never able to get into work and those abler mostly in work of some kind.
I didn't mention interviews in my email, but I got a section of the Minister's response as if I had. "We recognise that for people with mental, intellectual, cognitive or developmental impairments attending a face-to-face assessment at an unfamiliar location can cause anxiety" The reply goes on about being able to bring along a carer, having a trustee act for them, and ways of making the assesment easier. In short most of his reply is about the benefits entitlement assessments!!!
Hence replying to me on training, its about the training of the assessors. The training "includes provision of information about Autism Spectrum Disorders contained in evidence basded protocols for mental health conditions, a face to face 'learning-set' on Aspoerger'ssyndrome and a distance learning module on Learning Disabilities & Autistic Spectrum Disorder Awareness that was quality assured by external stakeholders".
There is no understanding here of a distinction here between those so disabled by autism as to have difficulty taking up employment and those able to find employment who could be helped constructively to ovefrcome difficulty, whhich is what my enquiry was looking for. And I wasn't asking about the ESA assessors, or whether they thought learning disability and mental health criteria applied to most people on the spectrum seeking work.
The letter then goes on to completing benefuit forms - I DIDN@T ASK ABOUT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS! Apparently the ESA50 questionnairwe was recently reviewed in consultayion with disability organisations to ensure the form better captures elements around frequency, severity and duration to impriove the collection of information from individuals with fluctuating conditions".
It then talks about the WCA (the assessment) and the way it works for people with autism, and the opinions of some experts.
There is nothing in the letter that addresses my questions. I never asked about the WCA. What is the point of the Autism Act and "Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives" if this is the sum total of understanding of a top Government Minister?
