CALL FOR GORDON BROWN TO LAUNCH SEN/AUTISM ACADEMIES IN THE UK

Mr. Corea was addressing an educational conference at the International Teachers College in the University of East London complex in the Docklands. He shared the story of the Autism Awareness Campaign and the struggle of parents, carers and people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome in accessing public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care in the UK. There were 250 teachers and students from around the world who were present at the ITC Conference.

Autism is a neuro-developental disorder - over 500,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. Recently a leaked study from the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge University suggested that 1 in 58 children in the UK may have autism. If this number is confirmed it raises the possibility of a huge increase in numbers of children with autism.

The Autism Awareness Campaign UK has appealed to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to back a national strategy for autism and a 10 year plan of action in the UK - this includes building specialism autism schools open to all across the UK. There are parents, carers and people with autism who are still struggling to access public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care. The Autism Awareness Campaign UK was set up by Asian Campaigners Ivan and Charika Corea who have a 11 year old boy with autism, Charin Corea. They launched their campaign in the UK in 2000 - Ivan Corea has met Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown on the the whole issue of autism.

'People are still finding that a postcode lottery to public services still exists for parents, carers and people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. We have urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take action to help this group, we need a long term strategy ' said Ivan Corea.

There are 60 million people with autism around the world. Many international delegates at the event organised by the International Teachers College and held at the University of East London shared their views on autism, they expressed concern that Governments in Africa and Asia were not doing enough to support children and adults with autism. Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged his support for the Millennium Development Goal on education for every child upto primary school level when he recently addressed a meeting at the United Nations in New York.

Autism campaigners are calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to look into the issue of autism in Africa and Asia.