'Social services tried to take away her son
after they refused to offer him a place at a special school'
LUTON, UK:
The mother of a boy with Asperger's syndrome says social services tried to
take away her son after they refused to offer him a place at a special
school.
Curtis Thurland has been refused the special
education experts feel he needs. His mother, Mandy Thurland, who has the
support of her Member of Parliament in Luton, fears councils are choosing
care provision over education because it is cheaper.
On September 6, Luton Borough Council said Curtis's
needs were being reassessed.
The boy's eccentric and unpredictable behaviour has
put him and others in danger. He was in hospital for two days after being
attacked by another boy and he has physically taken out his frustration on
his mother.
For years, Thurland fought to have her son's
condition diagnosed and when it was confirmed he had Asperger's Syndrome she
thought the right support would come through.
But there was to be no specialist education and she
said that a social worker then asked her to sign a form for Curtis to go
into care. "I said: 'How is this going to solve his educational
needs? He needs an education. He needs help with his disability.' I said:
'How is putting him into care going to solve this?' "I am so angry that they would do this to families.
It seems that because of money they are putting a vulnerable child with a
disability out of his home."
Child psychiatrists and the local MP, Kevin Hopkins,
have all written to Luton Borough Council urging them to give Curtis greater
support. Hopkins said Curtis needed a residential specialist
education in an institution which specialised in Asperger's syndrome and
similar conditions with their associated behavioural problems - not being
taken into care.
An educational psychologist, Allan Willis, said that
taking the boy into care would be potentially counter-productive and an
inappropriate response in this case. On September 6, a statement issued by the council
said there were no plans to take Curtis into care. "We are doing our very best to meet Curtis's
educational needs, which are currently being reassessed.
"As an interim measure, we have offered home tuition
from a highly qualified tutor with substantial experience of working with
children with the specific special needs Curtis has. As with all children,
our aim is to support the family in caring for Curtis at home. We have no
plans to take him into care."
(Source: September 6, 2005)
Pioneering Welsh autism unit featured
in TV programme
BANGOR, Wales: A pioneering unit that
treats autistic young people with severe behavioural problems featured in a
TV programme broadcast on November 8. Iwan Huw Owen from Anglesey is 14 and the first pupil
to attend a new centre at Bangor University's Psychology Department.
S4C's Taro Naw programme was given exclusive access
to film Iwan at the centre, which his parents, Wendy and Dyfed Owen, say has
transformed him. The centre has a school and separate residential unit
with places for up to three more children. Experts at the University's
Psychology Unit are using a technique called ABA (Applied Behaviour
Analysis) to adapt and improve Iwan's behaviour and understanding of the
world. In the past, Iwan has been aggressive towards his
carers and when he attended Ysgol y Bont at Llangefni, he injured staff
there. Source: Western Mail, November 8, 2005
Autism Cymru launches ground-breaking
web site as Welsh Health Minister announces pioneering autism strategy
CARDIFF: Wales is set to lead the world in autism provision with
the launch of a cradle-to-grave strategy and the first Internet resource of
its kind. Both initiatives are designed to improve the lives of people and
families affected by the disorder.
The world's first national website resource for autism - AWARes - has
been developed by Autism Cymru to bring the autism community in Wales
together. As well as providing information on autism services throughout
Wales, the bilingual website will also provide detailed explanations of
autism, treatments and therapies.
A series of live on-line seminars are planned to
spread good practice and enable parents and others to ask questions and get
answers on the Internet. An on-line library is also being developed which
will include video and audio clips of presentations for AWARes by some of
the world's leading authorities on autism.
The website was launched on December 4 as the Welsh
Health Minister, Jane Hutt, announced the development of an autism strategy
which will include screening, assessment and diagnosis at all ages,
children's services, adult services including housing and supported
employment.
Autism Cymru's chief executive, Hugh Morgan said: "A
cradle-to-grave strategy will make a massive difference to families,
children and adults with autism in Wales. When it is eventually produced,
Wales will be the first country in the world to have such a strategy - it's
pioneering stuff."
Morgan added: "AWARes is the start of a journey to
create the largest online autism community in the country. We are delighted
the Minister has demonstrated her support for what we consider to be a
significant milestone in the lives of those affected by autism in Wales."
For her part, Hutt declared: "The launch of the website is an important
building block towards the establishment of an all-Wales strategy.
It is a valuable step in tackling deficiencies in the understanding of
autism. I believe we have an opportunity, through the development of a
strategy for autism, of ironing out inequity of access, of spreading good
practice across Wales and linking with other initiatives to tackle problems
which contribute to social exclusion."
AWARes can be accessed at
www.AWARES.org
(Sources: The Western Mail; BBC News Online)
