Now while it is made quite clear that any critism of funding gaps isn't apreciated.
I wonder has anyone found a forum that supports adults in the community and if there isn't could we look at yahoo groups or similar to provide the information for those of us who do not seem to fit the required criteria?
Thinking
Not just fobbing people off to Citizens advice but help and some sort of follow up/aftercare.
what do you think?
ARRAN, The NAS are just keeping the toe in the door for further funding or a funding insurance policy as aspergers is growth industry, I think the system is just gathering numbers just now, as you say the NAS does not offer support for aspergers in my area, however promote that they do so to the scottish government, I have wrote to the district council and and scottish parliament highlighting that I was refused assistance. Or in the words of the LOCAL NAS representative, "we have one guy here with aspergers who does not fit in with full spectrum services we offer, so you will have to go somewhere else to get support, here is a magazine on aspergers living goodbye". I don't mind if this is the case, but do not promote assistance in the local community and ESPECIALLY NOT THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENTS STRATEGY PLAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot fathom out exactly why the NAS jumped onto the Asperger bandwagon when they offer miniscule support because it is unprofitable compared to what they can make from providing services for traditional low functioning autism. Surely if the NAS management had the best business brains then they would cease dealing with Asperger syndrome in the same way that any real business discontinues services that are unprofitable.
Susie,, I think there is two types of autism, cognitive with emotional learning difficults and aspergers is more social emotional learning difficults. So which autism is the recognised autism, autism depends on who's looking glass and politics.
I know by my own experience,, fellow aspies are just left on the side of the road to suffer in silence and my inner bones tells me this is because of a political resource agreement between NAS and Westminister. Only treat wheelchair autism and give the rest song and dance PR.
Hello,
I have found that myself and my son function "too well" to get any help. If I was to say we could not function at all this would mean we got loads of "help". For example, my son would be considered "at risk", I would be placed in hospital. The fact that we do function shows me, at least, that we are capable of doing so but the fact that we do it despite our so called disability tells me that the so called experts are mis-reading their therories....
If you are interested in home education (which the NAS isn't) then Asperger Home Education is the best place for you. Its management is VERY critical of the NAS.
However, they don't generally deal with adults on the spectrum nor do they offer any residential services.
Paull, You are totally correct with your overview, it is not rocket science, just equality of opportunity.
quote"I think the objectives should be to ensure that those with ASD have a comfortable living environment at first because without this they can never flourish, next would be training and courses to help them overcome /understand/deal better with certain problems they have and finally getting them some kind of work that they can enjoy and hopefully be able to give something back to society."
If you piloted that simple concept of equal living, which I am sure has been done no doubt for test purposes,, it would cost thousands and thousands of pounds per autistic person, unfortunately the government does not repair broken matches when it has a 3-4million box of spare matches they can strike without the cost of repairing them. Socialeconomics from the governmental accountants balance sheet which is unbalanced in reality.
The real policy in this country borders on right-wing one step away from economical and social genocide on the disabled.
Rome was not built in a day but had a foundation to allow it to be built.
You first need to make the foundation - get people on board and set up objectives and then find ways of funding. I strongly believe that any such organisation / community or forum for those with ASD should be run only by others with ASD - we are not mentally ill, we do not have learning disbilities and we have more to offer society than normal people - but unforunately many of us have problems that means we have limited finances. I think the foundation of such an organisation would be to approach those with ASD that have been successful and get them on board because I think unless you have ASD you cannot truly understand it.
I think the objectives should be to ensure that those with ASD have a comfortable living environment at first because without this they can never flourish, next would be training and courses to help them overcome /understand/deal better with certain problems they have and finally getting them some kind of work that they can enjoy and hopefully be able to give something back to society.
I think this is all possible - but who is going to take up the mantle and act rather than just discuss ? The logistics and cost are beyond just a handful of people, I have all the good intentions and energy and determination to help but am helpless without funding. the first step would be to get a website and list the objectives and try to drum up support.
I have access to someone who used to work for NAS and currently supplies national award winning service. They are considering setting up a charity and are not computer wiz.
To make it quite clear I not looking to profit or have anything more than fill in the gaps.
I also have access to a recognised support worker with years of experience and advocate.
Rome was not built in a day
Where are you going to find the experts to provide this advice, Stuffed?
My experience of DWP/ATOS/WCA is different to yours Stuffed. The assessor did accept my consultant's report, though I did ask on the form for someone who knew about Spectrum and I think that made all the difference. He was very sensitive to how I might be feeling and had obviously read everything I had enclosed with the form. (I sent it be post).
I think they NAS helpline refer people to CAB because CAB have trained benefits advisors and the NAS don't. The first thing is to know what benefits you can apply for before you get help filling in the WCA. With that the forums will be a better place than the helpline because you will get a range of different experiences from people who have been through the system having AS themselves.
I don't like Yahoo groups for two reasons -
I have problems with moving content, which is why I don't go to 'wrongplanet'. Secondly, don't they claim ownership of your content? I am not sure about that I know some sites do and I won't use them on principle.
I know someone who has won national awards who having worked for NAS shares similar views.
What I'm trying to get at is provision that is currently not there and it has been expressed NAS doesn't in the medium term see it as a priority.
My experience is the WCA,ATOS/DWP simply will not accept consultants and doctors letters.
While my situation is far from sorted as still no money.
I would like to make sure that people are not alone in what is a mental torture and endless cycle of WCA/Appeals/WCA
Really I don't want government genocide continuing and if experiences learned can make people aware of things such as Salvation Army food Parcels and Food Bank and hot meals etc.
Humanity lacking in current support and charities-BUT PEOPLE DO CARE
Paull,
Lets ask for some more ? ~ Oliver Twist
If we build it they will come ~ unknown
I am sure there would be some other donors out there, if you look under enough stones, but I am sure the big happy bank of the NAS(aka controls the autism community by access and non-access key decision system on behalf the government) would not be happy.
But under point 5. of the masonic code, to keep the queens peace, PLEASE NAS can we have some more, how would you like to start up a National Aspergers Society(NAS), look you don't even need to change the brand acronym.
The NAS clearly shows it more involved with full spectrum autism and not mild autism nor aspergers. Hence the gap which is causing discrimination.
With Aspergers it is a hard condition, as you meet the world half in and half out, so the flux difficults of social engagment are daily anxiety. I sometimes, wish I was more locked in my own world on the full spectrum so my world would be easier to handle.
Only a national organisation for Aspergers NAS, NATIONAL ASPERGERS SOCIETY, would bridge the gap of this discrimination under the NAS remit.
Maybe an ex-NAS person could create such an entity as the Aspergers National Society as working with the NAS have seen this discrimination also.
The National Aspergers Society, would be run by members for members, not a government cash cow living for a middle class management system under the false guise of a charity. These same people would organise anything, if it meant a free lunch for the boardroom committee, that is how they live in PR political worlds, the farthest point away from an autistic spectrum person.
