Today (Tuesday 2nd April) is World Autism Awareness Day.
It was designated by United Nations General Assembly in 2007 and is aimed at raising awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
In recent years, children and young people on the Isle of Wight had suffered long delays for diagnoses of the condition, and as reported in January this year the Isle of Wight was reported to have the third longest delay in country for support plan.
ASD Islanders let down
Last summer the Isle of Wight CCG had to apologise for the long delays in young people being diagnosed, with some families waiting up to two years.
One Isle of Wight teenager spoke about being driven to a suicide attempt due to delays, saying,
“I felt like no-one was listening and so what’s the point in being here? It felt like it couldn’t get any worse. I could not keep waking up each morning and feeling this way. I felt trapped in a cycle of negativity.”
MP: IW could become a national leader
Despite the above, the Isle of Wight MP, Robert Seely, said last autumn that the Isle of Wight could become a national leader in autism diagnosis and education.
At the time there were approximately 450 children on the waiting list for an autism diagnosis.
Proud to be on the spectrum
Today, Greta Thunberg – the Swedish 16 year old climate activist who started the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement – has called on those with ASD to embrace their differences. She posted:
Celebrating ASD
It’s heartwarming to see a young woman celebrating the power of ‘being on the spectrum’.
With the right support through the education system, our young Islanders on the ASD spectrum can go on to lead fulfilling lives and make huge contributions to society. Without the right support they can often find themselves in a confusing and unhappy place.
Many will be hoping that this year sees a turnaround on the Island in the support given to families with children on the spectrum.
Happy World Autism Awareness Day. Image: Anna Kolosyuk under CC BY 2.0
