Push for Action spokesperson Jonny Dean on getting a late diagnosis

Push for Action champion Jonny Dean, famous for being the front man in  Brit-Pop Group Mensw@ar, has a fantastic article up on the Guardian's 'Comment is Free' blog today to mark World Autism Awareness Day.

Jonny said:

"It took well over a year to get diagnosed, partly because only one place in the southeast had the facilities to do it. But I am glad I persevered. It means that my GP is aware of my condition. It meant I was able to get cognitive behavioural therapy to cope with the challenges I face every day. It has enabled me to understand who I am. But more than anything, diagnosis was a massive relief."

He also talked about the Push for Action campaign and his hopes for 'Think Autism', the new Government strategy:

"Last year the National Autistic Society started a campaign, Push for Action, to improve support for adults with autism. In October, I joined other campaigners in delivering a petition to 10 Downing Street demanding more action from the government, including money for new services, better training for staff such as GPs and care assessors, and more to be done to raise public awareness of autism.

Things are slowly getting better, especially with regard to awareness, but solid support is still lacking. I hope that the government's revised autism strategy, which will be published today – World Autism Awareness Day – will tackle this and actually improve the lives of adults with autistic conditions as well as those of their families."

Read the full article here.

Government announces new autism strategy, 'Think Autism'

To coincide with World Autism Awareness Day (2 April) the Government have met a number of key Push for Action recommendations – including for the first time ring-fenced money – in their publication of the revised adult autism strategy for England.

As part of the new initiative, coined ‘Think Autism’, the Government will put £4.5 million of revenue and capital funding towards an Innovation Fund and a community led awareness programme.

The innovation fund will support the development and replication of new services. The Awareness programme will help build understanding among the professionals working with people with autism and among the general public, and to make communities more autism-friendly. The Government will publish more details on how councils, charities and local groups can apply for the funding by the end of June 2014.

Push for Action has been calling on the Government to unlock the barriers councils and the NHS face in implementing the Autism strategy since it’s publication in 2010. In addition to the funding, we’ve also secured significant breakthroughs in key areas such as training, guidance, data collection and monitoring.

Mark Lever NAS Chief Executive, said:

It’s very positive that Think Autism is tackling core issues that affect the quality of the lives of adults with autism: understanding and awareness, and the development and delivery of better services. I would like to thank the thousands of NAS campaigners who worked through our Push for Action campaign to make this change happen.

While welcoming the new adult autism strategy, The National Autistic Society knows that this will only make a difference to people with autism and their families if local authorities and health services establish the best possible plans for local services, and if we in the autism community and the general public help create communities where adults with autism feel understood”.

The next crucial step is to ensure that councils and the NHS move forward in implementing the revised strategy. By the end of April we will have new campaign resources as we carry on in our battle to end the wait for everyday support.

To receive updates on the campaign, sign up to Push for Action now. 

The revised strategy will be published by the Government in full at 2pm today. We will update this page with a link to the strategy. 

MPs debate Push for Action demands

MPs this week held a debate in Westminster on the forthcoming revised adult autism strategy, in one of the Push for Action campaign’s last opportunities to influence its content ahead of publication on World Autism Awareness Day on the 2 April.

The debate was tabled by Cheryl Gillan, the MP who brought forward the Bill that became the Autism Act in 2009. Mrs Gillan used the opportunity to highlight areas of success since the Act was passed but emphasised that support for adults with autism is still patchy across England and much more needs to be done to address this.

Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, Robert Buckland MP, spoke about the need for better awareness of autism in communities, and emphasised that local businesses, leisure companies and public service providers had a duty to ensure that that people with autism are not isolated, but treated as full and active members of their local communities. Nine other MPs also spoke up in the debate, some directly quoting from emails NAS supporters had sent them as part of the Push for Action campaign.

Push for Action has put forward a variety of proposals to strengthen the revised strategy that were raised in the debate; these included:

• the introduction of an innovation fund, to support the development of new local services
• an autism awareness programme, to help local groups and volunteers build a community that is more welcoming for people with autism
• improvements in training across all public services, but particularly for GPs, community care assessors, and front line staff in the welfare and criminal justice systems
• a more transparent way for progress of the strategy to be mapped, and for local people to hold their council to account

Responding on behalf of the Government, Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb paid tribute to the NAS for its 'inspired leadership' in ensuring that the strategy translates into greater difference for people's lives. He said that the Department of Health are considering the range of proposals set out by The NAS, and agreed to meet with the MPs and the NAS to discuss these and the strategy in more detail. 

A transcript of the debate can be found here:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/176/ and it can also be viewed on Parliament TV here http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=14926

Cheryl Gillan MP speaks up for Push for Action

Push for Action champion, Cheryl Gillan MP, has published two articles recently championing the campaign.

The articles appear on the Conservative Home website as well as Politics Home, two sites frequented by MPs and parliamentarians. They therefore represent a really useful ways to bring our issues to the politicians who need to understand them.

To read the articles, follow this link for the Conservative Home article and this one for Politics Home.

Parliamentary debate secured for Wednesday

Cheryl Gillan MP, whose private members bill led to the Autism Act being passed in 2009, has secured a debate about the autism strategy review in the House of Commons this Wednesday.

The 1.5 hour debate, which Care Minister Norman Lamb will respond to, acts as the Push for Action campaign's last major opportunity to influence the content of the revised strategy before its publication.

We need plenty of MPs to come and speak up in the debate so that the Minister is clear about what an important issue this is for the electorate.

You can do your bit by asking your MP to speak in the debate on your behalf. Follow this link and submit our simple form to do so.

To watch the debate, which will take place on Wednesday morning at 9.30, follow this link.

Nottinghamshire Asperger's Team: SAVED!

Nottinghamshire County Council has today announced that they are dropping their proposal to scrap their pioneering Adults with Asperger’s Team. The proposal, made as part of their Budget Challenge 2014/15, has been reversed in response to concerns raised by people with autism and their families.

As part of the Push for Action campaign, The National Autistic Society has been working to support local people and organisations such as Autistic Nottingham to campaign against the closure. The team provides social care support, care planning and person budgets to around 200 people with Asperger syndrome and was the first specialist social care team in the UK. Set up in recognition of the fact that people with Asperger syndrome were falling between learning disability and mental health services, the team is regarded as an example of best practice and is frequently held up as so by both the our charity and the Government.

Tom Purser, our Senior Policy & Participation Officer said:

"Today’s announcement will come as a tremendous relief to the many people who contacted the NAS to express their concern about the  proposal. We have worked to support local people and groups such as Autistic Nottingham to speak up and have their views heard by the Council, and we’re delighted that they have been listened to.

"Nearly 5,000 adults in Nottinghamshire are thought to be living with autism, and it’s crucial that appropriate support is available to those who need it.”

Autistic Nottingham is a user-led support group and has worked with the NAS to marshal the support of their members and the autism community more widely to oppose the cut and have their voices heard. We are delighted that the Council has listened and that people with Asperger syndrome can continue to be supported by team with specialist knowledge that understands their needs.

Matthew McVeagh from Autistic Nottingham said:

"Autistic Nottingham is very glad and relieved to hear the news that the county council will not after all be closing its dedicated Adults with Asperger's service. This is a great result for people with Asperger syndrome in Nottinghamshire and by extension elsewhere, as it is essential that people with autistic conditions receive appropriate care and help everywhere in the country. 

"In general services for autistic people are growing so it would have been a backwards step if the Nottinghamshire County team, nationally considered a flagship scheme and example of best practice, had been ended. We now look forward to continuing to work with the Team to improve the lives of adults with Asperger's in Nottinghamshire."

Our underground message to MPs

If you’re passing through Westminster tube station, look out for our timely message to MPs…

We know a lot of MPs arrive to work at Westminster tube every day, so we thought we'd catch them on their commute with this eye-catching poster right in the heart of the station. Our poster reminds them that this is a critical moment in the Push For Action campaign - and they need to take action.

The Government will be publishing the new adult autism strategy on World Autism Awareness Day, 2nd April 2014, so we need as many MPs as possible to be speaking up about autism in parliament and asking questions of the Health Minister, Norman Lamb, over the coming weeks.

You can do your bit by asking your MP to speak up for you by taking this simple online action: https://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=10&ea.campaign.id=24705&ea.tracking.id=9ebfc811