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HOW DO WE BEST ENABLE CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH AUTISM TO LEAD FULL LIVES ?
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This Seminar will be held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
On Wednesday 23rd September 2009
Seminar reference ACA/263 |
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- ADDRESSING ISOLATION AND IGNORANCE
 How should we address discrimination and disadvantage suffered by people with autism?
How should we improve educational support for all children with autism?
How should we ensure that people with autism don't fall through the cracks of service provision?
How should we best tackle postcode lottery of provision?
How should agencies of society work seamlessly to meet the challenges?
How should autism be built into strategic planning, JSNA's and commissioning?
How should the law and Government policy be strengthened?
How should local government lead policy through partnership arrangements more effectively?
How should the NHS, police, education and other agencies perform more effectively?
What regional support is required from government in taking forward good practice?
What other changes in attitudes and behaviour are necessary?
Where can we hope to be in ten years time?
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CONTEXT
This seminar looks at how best we can enable children and adults with autism to lead full lives.
Autism is a lifelong disability affecting how someone sees the world, communicates and socialises. It causes great everyday difficulties in relationships and independent living. It is a spectrum condition, affecting sufferers in different ways. Some can live independently; others have learning disabilities and need lifetime support.
600k people (1% of the UK population) have a condition in the autistic spectrum. Evidence that autism is more common than previously thought puts pressure on service providers and highlights the need to properly train staff.
A recent Cambridge study suggests 1 in 58 children may have autism. Early diagnosis is crucial to helping the child realise potential and lead a productive life. The English Children's Commissioner judges education for autistic children to be "shocking" and "appalling". 40% of autistic children have been bullied at school.
Every teacher will teach an autistic child at some time. NUT finds 44% teachers not confident teaching ASD children; 39% are not confident identifying the disorder; 76% say a lack of professional development is a barrier to proper teaching. 70% of schools are not satisfied with the level of training.
20% appeals to the SEN and Disabiltiy Tribunal concern children with autism, more than any other type of SEN. 25%+ autistic children with autism have been excluded from school - 23% more than once.
There are 11k BME autistic children in England and Wales, but very few projects to raise awareness. 25% autistic BME children have been excluded and face "double discrimination". BME parents are "significantly" less satisfied with their child's academic and social progress than their white counterparts.
Transition from school to adulthood is difficult for autistic young people. They rely on structure and routine and find it hard to adapt rules learned in one context to another. Effective support and transition planning are vital - which is where difficulties can arise.
A few autistic young people stay in education past 16. Employment opportunities are scarce : only 15% autistic adults are in full-time paid jobs. Of £25bn annual cost of autism to society, 36% is down to lost employment.
Adults with autism are often unable to find right support and are dependent on their families. 40% live at home; 61% rely financially; 92% of parents worry about their child's future.
Little is known on numbers of people with autism in each council area. NAS found just 1 English council had undertaken a head count; 64% councils do not have responsible named staff. The I Exist report found 63% of autistic adults do not have enough support for their needs; over 1/3 experience severe mental health difficulties as a result. 60% autistic adults have problems getting council or NHS support.
Structural barriers prevent autistic adults accessing proper support. Councils tend to provide services through client group teams. Autistic people are usually served by a learning disability or mental health team. But as autism is a developmental disability many fall through the gap between services that won't accept responsibility for them.
The Education (Children with Autism) Bill aims to provide education and training for children with autism. DH is due to publish a National Adult Autism Strategy with £500k to fund a study into numbers of adults with autism and their transitional needs.
An Autism Bill tabled by Angela Browning MP, supported by the National Autistic Society and others, aims to strengthen local planning, service commissioning and inter-agency work. It would secure effective transition from child to adult services for autistic young people and appropriate support and services for people with autism in adult life.
The day encourages brief, focussed presentations followed by engaged discussion by all attending in a relaxed setting. It is hoped that it will make a valuable contribution to taking forward the issues. |
The fee for the day's Seminar is £345.00 plus VAT.
Earlybird Discount of £250 + VAT for bookings received before 21 August 2009
GENEROUS NEGOTIATED DISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND FOR MULTIPLE BOOKINGS.
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What people say about CPPS Social Policy Seminars
You have very much earned a positive reputation for the work you do. Please pass on my appreciation to your staff group and be assured that I would welcome the opportunity to use CPPS services in future. Director of Care Services, Department of Health
Inspirational contributions. Thought provoking presentations. Well mixed group of professionals round our table. Well organised, smoothly run day - nice food!! Inclusion Manager, Education Leeds
Excellent speakers - very impressive and interesting. Director, Barnardo's
It was exciting, informative, positive, practical, inspiring &. Exceptional. Senior Teacher, Special School, Stoke
Excellent blend of short presentations, group discussion and panel feedback - all presentations informative, well-focussed and interesting - well paced. Thank you! Assistant Director, Derbyshire County Council
It was superb. Excellent speakers. Very well chaired. Nice venue. Really good coverage of issues. Good mixture of participants. Excellent day. Great use of my time. Chief Executive, Harlow and Broxbourne Women's Aid
Excellent format of short presentations and discussion time. Excellent speakers, venue and food. Community Wellbeing Manager, Adur District Council
I thought the value of the day was huge. All the presentations were very stimulating. Deputy Director, Government Office for the North West
Excellent - lots to consider. All presentations of high standard - breadth of issues and depth Associate Tutor, University of Sussex
Excellent. Best selection of speakers I have seen at a seminar for some time. Chief Executive, South Yorkshire Housing Association
Extraordinarily useful and balanced. Some excellent speakers. Lots to take back to Board colleagues - so worth the money and time to attend. Thank you. Executive Director, Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust
Brilliant. Motivating. Like-minded people. Operations Manager, Knowsley Youth Offending Service
Brilliant - Just what I needed. Deputy Medical Director, NHS West Kent
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