York study into autism

9:26am Friday 14th March 2008

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A NATIONAL autism campaign is launching in York next week.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) will be holding a York launch of its new I Exist report on Thursday at the Next Generation Club, off Hull Road.

The event is open to anyone with autism, regardless of age, and their family or friends along with people from the local authority with an interest in autism.

There are estimated to be about 2,000 people in York with autism and many adults may not have been diagnosed with the condition, according to experts.

The NAS is campaigning to end the isolation of the thousands of adults with autism in the United Kingdom who are not able to access support or lead the fulfilling lives they deserve.

The event will feature speakers including Glynis Bevan, a local advisory teacher for autism, Richard Exley, an individual with Asperger syndrome from Leeds, and Heidi Shepherd, NAS area manager for Yorkshire And Humberside Adult Services.

Mr Exley said: "I think it is very important that service-providers listen more to the needs of adults with autism and their families.

"Every person with autism is different, and services need to be tailored to individual needs.

"We're not talking about inventing a new language, but rather inventing new perceptions of existing languages.

"We all owe it to those affected by autism to listen with our hearts and minds and not just our ears."

The I Exist report, based on the largest ever survey in the UK on the experience of adults with autism and their families, indicates that adults with autism do not have enough support to meet their needs, with 63 per cent of those questioned experiencing anxiety and 49 per cent experiencing depression as a result.

Ms Shepherd said: "For too long adults with autism have found themselves isolated and ignored.

"They struggle to access support and are often dependent on their families. It does not have to be like this. I Exist' is the message from adults with autism who want their needs understood and the barriers to support removed. The right help at the right time can have a profound effect.

"We are calling on the Government to think, act, and transform lives."

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people.

It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

The event is from 6pm to 8.30pm.