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Wes Streeting's move against autism - NAS - time to step up

mrs.snooks

I'm aware that this discussion may get a little heated, but I hope that it stays away from getting too much so. I do not mean to cause offense or lead to any arguments. So here goes.

I woke up to this morning's headlines: 

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is to launch an independent review into rising demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services in England.

I haven't added the link to the article as I know this will trigger a delay to having this posted. But I'm thinking you will have seen this this morning. 

I am so angry on so many levels. And I am hoping that the NAS is angry too and can respond to his move with a firm and robust response. Because.

Now, I am going to call it out. Mr Streeting, I think that this is what I would be calling: Discrimination. Discrimination with a big, fat capital D. Discrimination against a marginalised group. A vulnerable group. That deserves your protection and that you should have our back. As the HEALTH secretary. Shame on you. Shame on you.

I may not respond to any responses to my thread, if it gets too heated. And I am happy for the thread to get locked or removed.

It's time to Step Up.

Parents

  • Sounds like they are laying the groundwork to find ways to stop us using neurodiversity as a way to justify claiming benefits.

    We are a rapidly growing group with huge waiting lists for diagnoses and an issue with the hidden diasbility looking too "convenient" in the eyes of many in power.

    If they strip the ability to use neurodiversity as a disability then they can save loads in benefits and probably reduce the waiting lists too. What they save in benefits will be worth far more than the small number of voters who will feel disenfranchised by it.

    I doubt we will see large groups of protesters outside parliment as the people affected often don't do groups, don't communicate well and don't like loud environments or confrontations.  From that point of view we will be a pushover.

    This sounds like another step on the ladder to us being cancelled:

     RE: could our "protected characteristic" of autism be cancelled? 

  • in reply to Iain

    My eldest (who already had a diagnosis of autism) was diagnosed with ADHD last year - and as a result he was prescribed medication which actually increased his ability to deal with (and focus more effectively on) a demanding workload. So his diagnosis led to him increasing his contribution to society - and did not lead to any claim for benefits at all. People make assumptions about people’s reasons for being assessed for a diagnosis. For myself I spent a long time in hospital a few years ago and I found that I was trying to explain to staff why certain things were so challenging for me - and I felt that if I had a diagnosis of autism then that could have been on my notes and that would have saved all the complicated conversations as I tried to communicate with them under such trying circumstances. I knew I was autistic (I had realised it years before when my son was diagnosed) but it was when this happened that I felt I needed the diagnosis to protect myself really from people making my life even more difficult in situations like healthcare. For example at the dentist if you say your autistic they have an immediate understanding of why some things might be more difficult for you - and can make reasonable adjustments. Most of us are mainly trying to reduce our suffering and find better ways to function. And to be totally blunt : sometimes we’re genuinely trying to save ourselves from struggling so much that we try to end our own lives. It can be life and death if we are shown no support, respect or kindness by the society we live in. 

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  • in reply to Iain

    My eldest (who already had a diagnosis of autism) was diagnosed with ADHD last year - and as a result he was prescribed medication which actually increased his ability to deal with (and focus more effectively on) a demanding workload. So his diagnosis led to him increasing his contribution to society - and did not lead to any claim for benefits at all. People make assumptions about people’s reasons for being assessed for a diagnosis. For myself I spent a long time in hospital a few years ago and I found that I was trying to explain to staff why certain things were so challenging for me - and I felt that if I had a diagnosis of autism then that could have been on my notes and that would have saved all the complicated conversations as I tried to communicate with them under such trying circumstances. I knew I was autistic (I had realised it years before when my son was diagnosed) but it was when this happened that I felt I needed the diagnosis to protect myself really from people making my life even more difficult in situations like healthcare. For example at the dentist if you say your autistic they have an immediate understanding of why some things might be more difficult for you - and can make reasonable adjustments. Most of us are mainly trying to reduce our suffering and find better ways to function. And to be totally blunt : sometimes we’re genuinely trying to save ourselves from struggling so much that we try to end our own lives. It can be life and death if we are shown no support, respect or kindness by the society we live in. 

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