The Community Care statistics that came out earlier this month really puzzle me. The immediately obvious aspect is that only 12,000 with autism and 5000 with aspergers were identified in this first year of monitoring adults on the spectrum receiving support across local authorities. That's just 3% of all adults receiving social care etc.
But the statistics produced really do look strange. The most common primary support reason for long term support was physical support- personal care support 51% or 450,000 clients. Did they mean 51% of 450,000 clients, as they don't seem to have that many overall?
Learning disability support 16%
Mental health 12% (do I get the feeling we are still falling between the two labels?)
Physical support Access and mobility only, together with Support with Memory and Cognition - 9%
Sensory Support and Social Support 12%
Well I can see lots of reasons for autism to be provided for under some of these categories. But autism only amounts to 3%
Are they playing deceitful games with the figures? Have people with autism been let down again?
The report can be accessed from a news item on the home page of NAS website. I think everyone should look at this - even if it is hard to understand.