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Adult Aspergers, why the focus only on those with learning disabilities

DaisyGirl

I have noticed that almost all services for adults with autism/Asperger's is tailored only for those with learning disabilities. In fact it seems that in many ways the knowledge of autism is almost all about people with additional learning disabilities. Why is this?

Almost always when adults with autism are on the TV they also have learning disabilities? All the support is about learning disabilities. It is as if so called experts do not actually know what autism is, and that people can be very badly affected by their autism but also highly intelligent. All the literature points out that people with autism can be highly intelligent but suffer a great deal due to their autism but this is not being reflected in the way autism is being portrayed or in the support available.

I feel like this is getting worse. How can we change this?

Parents

  • The problem lies deep - with the Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives initiative. The idea was to have separate participation boards and commissioning officers for autism in all local authorities.

    However the policy gave a let out clause. Autism could be addressed by a mental health or a learning disability partnership board, in principle provided that autism was addressed separately by those boards.

    The problem is that Local Government only does what it is required to do, not what it is recommended to do, and Central Government wont interfere in what they call local democracy matters. The situation is not helped by the cut backs incurred in economic recession.

    So little real progress has been made, and I don't feel NAS has been outspoken enough about it.

    What tends to happen is that autism is covered by a learning disability partnership board, but the members of a participation board representing people with autism also have to have a learning disability. You cannot attend one if you haven't also got a learning disability.

    And most councils have a nominal commissioning officer for autism who is usually also the commissioning officer for learning disability (or mental health in some councils) and usually knows and cares little about autism.

    These boards decide what provisions are made by social services and also influence and work hand in hand with the local health authority.

    As long as the Autism Act and Living Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives fails to enforce a distinction between autism and learning disability, nothing is going to change.

Reply

  • The problem lies deep - with the Leading Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives initiative. The idea was to have separate participation boards and commissioning officers for autism in all local authorities.

    However the policy gave a let out clause. Autism could be addressed by a mental health or a learning disability partnership board, in principle provided that autism was addressed separately by those boards.

    The problem is that Local Government only does what it is required to do, not what it is recommended to do, and Central Government wont interfere in what they call local democracy matters. The situation is not helped by the cut backs incurred in economic recession.

    So little real progress has been made, and I don't feel NAS has been outspoken enough about it.

    What tends to happen is that autism is covered by a learning disability partnership board, but the members of a participation board representing people with autism also have to have a learning disability. You cannot attend one if you haven't also got a learning disability.

    And most councils have a nominal commissioning officer for autism who is usually also the commissioning officer for learning disability (or mental health in some councils) and usually knows and cares little about autism.

    These boards decide what provisions are made by social services and also influence and work hand in hand with the local health authority.

    As long as the Autism Act and Living Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives fails to enforce a distinction between autism and learning disability, nothing is going to change.

Children
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