North Thanet’s MP, Roger Gale, is supporting World Autism Awareness Day on 2nd April and joining with UK autism charities, including the National Autistic Society (NAS), in standing up for local people affected by the condition.
 
Organised by the UN and with the theme of ‘Stand Up for Autism’, World Autism Awareness Day brings together autism organisations all around the world and gives a voice to the millions of individuals who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. All too often autism is not properly understood as a distinct condition and the needs of people affected by this complex disability are not recognised.
 
Speaking at the House of Commons Roger  said: “Autism is much more common than many people realise, affecting over 500,000 people in the UK, yet despite the scale of the need, autism receives nowhere near the attention it deserves. As I know from the experiences of those that I represent a lack of understanding, coupled with inadequate support and services available for people affected by autism, can have a devastating impact. That is why, this World Autism Awareness day, I am standing up for my constituents who are affected by this complex condition and urging the Government and local authorities to give priority to autism, to allocate adequate resources and to remove the barriers to support. The right help at the right time can transform lives.”
 
On World Autism Awareness Day, autism organisations from across the UK, including the National Autistic Society, will be working together to raise awareness of the condition to ensure that:

• people with autism are not unfairly discriminated against and their rights as people with disabilities as well as citizens are promoted

• autism is properly recognised as a distinct condition

• the numbers with autism are known and inform the provision of services and support

• adequate research funds are made available to enable understanding of autism and develop appropriate interventions and support 

• that those providing services and support across public services have adequate understanding of autism

• that resources are made available to support those living with autism

• that public awareness of autism is raised to help remove social barriers for those living with autism

For more information please visit: www.autism.org.uk/waad.
 
You can follow the campaign online, by visiting:

You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldAutismDay
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Autism-Awareness-Day-Stand-up-for-autism
Twitter - http://twitter.com/WorldAutismDay

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