Autism Awareness Campaign UK
Encyclopedia
The Autism Awareness Campaign – United Kingdom was launched in 2000 by Ivan and Charika Corea in response to the autism
diagnosis of their son, Charin.
, for better public services in health, education, specialist speech therapy and respite care; for independent research into the causes of autism; for greater public awareness on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome", as well as other areas where they believe there is a shortfall in public-service provision. They have lobbied for greater awareness of the condition and for independent research on the causes of autism
.
The Autism Awareness Campaign of 2002 initiated debates in the Parliament of the UK
and the Scottish Parliament
for Autism Awareness Year, supported by organisations including the British Institute of Brain Injured Children, The Disabilities Trust, and the National Autistic Society
. A major conference on autism was held at the King's Fund
in London and a service for autism was held at St Paul's Cathedral
.
2007 House of Commons autism debate and meeting with Prime Minister
The Autism Awareness Campaign helped raise awareness about the condition in 2007 in the British House of Commons
when Lee Scott
, MP for Ilford North
, brought a debate on autistic children.
Ivan Corea met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, Tony Blair
and Lee Scott MP in April 2007. He presented the Prime Minister with a report calling for a national strategy on autism and a 10-year plan of action in the UK. The call for an urgent review on autism services was supported by leading British charities and community organisations including faith communities. Parliamentarians signed an early day motion
on autism (EDM 1359) backing the call for a national strategy on autism and change in policy for people with autism and Asperger syndrome
. Ivan Corea met with the British Prime Minister-in-Waiting, Gordon Brown
in June 2007 to urge him to launch the national strategy and 10-year plan on autism, particularly in building state-of-the-art autism schools.
2008 United Nations World Autism Awareness Day
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK were involved in the first United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, declared by the UN General Assembly on Wednesday 2 April 2008 on the recommendation of the State of Qatar
.
The campaign called on the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
to launch a world autism strategy, convene a United Nations Autism Conference in 2009 to engage with world leaders on autism and for UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNDP to reach out and help families with autism in the Third World who are below the poverty line – particularly in Africa and Asia.
Ivan Corea announced on CNN
and GMTV
that an international organisation is being set up called the UK Autism Foundation, to build a state-of-the-art Autism Centre in London and to launch initiatives to help the poor. The UK Autism Foundation will lobby for real and lasting change for parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger syndrome. The UK Autism Foundation is committed to the poor - there are many more families with autism below the poverty line as a result of the global economic downturn ands recession which struck many nations in 2008.
The CNN interview with presenter Max Foster was televised to mark World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April 2008. International coverage about the Autism Awareness Campaign UK was also given on Associated Press
and the campaigners received national coverage in the United Kingdom.
The campaigners released a film to mark the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day with British peer the Baroness Uddin in the House of Lords
.Open Every Door, written by the award winning Sri Lanka-born singer and songwriter, Nimal Mendis
,was aired on the UN World Autism Awareness Day by CNN.
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid
Lord Coe
appointed Ivan Corea as a London 2012 Olympic bid
Ambassador; the Autism Awareness Campaign UK were fully involved with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid.
Concert for Autism
On the 18th October 2008,British musicians Jon Sterry, Ash Gilbody, Alex Butters and Alan Enston with support from a young band, The Badgers, helped to raise money and awareness of the UK Autism Foundation by holding a concert. The Chief guests at the music event were Councillor Alan Weinberg and Mrs Weinberg. The councillor is the leader of the council of the London Borough of Redbridge.
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
diagnosis of their son, Charin.
Objectives
According to their website, Autism Awareness Campaign – United Kingdom was started in 2000 "to campaign on behalf of parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's syndromeAsperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
, for better public services in health, education, specialist speech therapy and respite care; for independent research into the causes of autism; for greater public awareness on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome", as well as other areas where they believe there is a shortfall in public-service provision. They have lobbied for greater awareness of the condition and for independent research on the causes of autism
Causes of autism
Many causes of autism have been proposed, but understanding of the theory of causation of autism and the other autism spectrum disorders is incomplete. Heritability contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, but the heritability of autism is complex and typically it is...
.
Events
2002 United Kingdom Autism Awareness YearThe Autism Awareness Campaign of 2002 initiated debates in the Parliament of the UK
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
for Autism Awareness Year, supported by organisations including the British Institute of Brain Injured Children, The Disabilities Trust, and the National Autistic Society
National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders , including autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is primarily to improve of the lives of people with Autism in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid...
. A major conference on autism was held at the King's Fund
King's Fund
The King's Fund is a charitable foundation in England. Founded as the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund for London in 1897, the fund changed its name in 1902 to King Edward's Hospital Fund after the accession to the throne of King Edward VII...
in London and a service for autism was held at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
.
2007 House of Commons autism debate and meeting with Prime Minister
The Autism Awareness Campaign helped raise awareness about the condition in 2007 in the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
when Lee Scott
Lee Scott (UK politician)
Lee Scott is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ilford North, and an officer of the Conservative Friends of Israel group.-Early life:Scott was born in the East End of London to a British Jewish family,...
, MP for Ilford North
Ilford North (UK Parliament constituency)
Ilford North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It comprises the north part of the town of Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of...
, brought a debate on autistic children.
Ivan Corea met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Lee Scott MP in April 2007. He presented the Prime Minister with a report calling for a national strategy on autism and a 10-year plan of action in the UK. The call for an urgent review on autism services was supported by leading British charities and community organisations including faith communities. Parliamentarians signed an early day motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
on autism (EDM 1359) backing the call for a national strategy on autism and change in policy for people with autism and Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
. Ivan Corea met with the British Prime Minister-in-Waiting, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in June 2007 to urge him to launch the national strategy and 10-year plan on autism, particularly in building state-of-the-art autism schools.
2008 United Nations World Autism Awareness Day
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK were involved in the first United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, declared by the UN General Assembly on Wednesday 2 April 2008 on the recommendation of the State of Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
.
The campaign called on the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
to launch a world autism strategy, convene a United Nations Autism Conference in 2009 to engage with world leaders on autism and for UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNDP to reach out and help families with autism in the Third World who are below the poverty line – particularly in Africa and Asia.
Ivan Corea announced on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
that an international organisation is being set up called the UK Autism Foundation, to build a state-of-the-art Autism Centre in London and to launch initiatives to help the poor. The UK Autism Foundation will lobby for real and lasting change for parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger syndrome. The UK Autism Foundation is committed to the poor - there are many more families with autism below the poverty line as a result of the global economic downturn ands recession which struck many nations in 2008.
The CNN interview with presenter Max Foster was televised to mark World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April 2008. International coverage about the Autism Awareness Campaign UK was also given on Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the campaigners received national coverage in the United Kingdom.
The campaigners released a film to mark the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day with British peer the Baroness Uddin in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.Open Every Door, written by the award winning Sri Lanka-born singer and songwriter, Nimal Mendis
Nimal Mendis
Nimal Mendis is a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter. He is one of a handful of Sri Lankan musicians to make it to the BBC television programme Top of the Pops in 1968....
,was aired on the UN World Autism Awareness Day by CNN.
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid
Lord Coe
Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe
Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, KBE , often known as Seb Coe, is an English former athlete and politician...
appointed Ivan Corea as a London 2012 Olympic bid
London 2012 Olympic bid
London 2012 was the successful bid for the 2012 Summer Games, to be held in London with most events taking place in Stratford, Newham. The British Olympic Association had been working on the bid since 1997...
Ambassador; the Autism Awareness Campaign UK were fully involved with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid.
Concert for Autism
On the 18th October 2008,British musicians Jon Sterry, Ash Gilbody, Alex Butters and Alan Enston with support from a young band, The Badgers, helped to raise money and awareness of the UK Autism Foundation by holding a concert. The Chief guests at the music event were Councillor Alan Weinberg and Mrs Weinberg. The councillor is the leader of the council of the London Borough of Redbridge.
External links
- Autism Awareness Campaign UK: Campaigning for all people with Autism (official website)