A Call in Autism Awareness Week to support the Ethnic Minorities
Added: (Fri Apr 30 2004)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Ivan and Charika Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK have issued a call in Autism Awareness Week (which falls on 17-24 May in 2004) for Her Majesty's Government to support autistic children and adults from Britain's ethnic minority Communities.
Autism is on the rise in the ethnic population in the UK. It is astonishing that we have no real statistical data across the UK of people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome from the ethnic minorities. Parents, carers and autists are calling for urgent government action in 2004. A postcode lottery to health,education, specialist speech therapy and respite care still exists.
Many struggle without access to public services. There is a shortage of SEN teachers and speech therapists from the ethnic minorities. Some ethnic parents remain confused, they do not know who to turn to when their children are diagnosed with autism.
Ivan Corea said, 'We also need the government to address the serious problems of autistic people from the ethnic minorities and the labour market.'
The size of the minority ethnic population was 4.6 million in 2001 or 7.9 per cent of the total population of the United Kingdom. The Government will have to take into account the demographic changes in the UK.
For further particulars please access the website:
http://autism-ethnic-uk.tripod.com