News from the NAS

We are conducting a survey into the learning and development needs of mainstream health and social care professionals for working with people with autism. It has been commissioned by the Department of Health (DH) and is designed for non-autism specialists.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow has urged adults with autism, families and carers to have their say on the Autism Act statutory guidance. The development of this guidance is a key part of the Autism Act 2009.

A new group called 'Autism Campaigners Together' has launched ACT NOW, a campaign reflecting shared concerns about the proposed benefit cuts and medical assessments which will begin in 2013.

Dr Judith Gould, Director of the NAS Lorna Wing Centre for Autism, and Dr Jacqui Ashton Smith, Principal of the NAS Helen Allison School, are developing a new fact sheet about issues related to autism in women and girls.

Local people affected by autism in Blaenau Gwent are to get much needed support from a new branch of NAS Cymru.

We welcome research into the use of MRI scans to diagnose autism, as it helps to add to our knowledge about the condition. However, this test is not yet a reality and still requires further testing.

Representatives from the NAS have met with the Government minister responsible for Disability Living Allowance, to discuss our concerns about the changes and to try to make sure that any changes reflect the needs of people on the autism spectrum.

The National Autistic Society and other disability charities are carrying out a survey to find out about your experiences of claiming benefits. The survey looks at key benefits including Employment and Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.

A pioneering Danish company which specialises in recruiting workers with autism has launched an office in Glasgow, Scotland.

Kensington and Chelsea MP, Sir Malcolm Rifkind KCMG QC, met ten adults with autism from our Ladbroke Grove Autism Centre on 21 July. Sir Malcolm talked about how the government’s new policies could affect adults with autism, and discussed their fears and concerns.

Plans are ongoing to improve autism services for children and adults in Northern Ireland. The Regional Autism Spectrum Disorder Network was set up by the Health and Social Care Board (HSC) to implement the Autism Action Plan published by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey last autumn and already much progress has been made.

Over 5,000 people are expected to take part in the Super Hero 5k to raise funds for hundreds of different charities. This is your chance to join them in support of The National Autistic Society.

The Department of Health is looking for four people in England to join the National Adult Autism Programme Board.

Atlantic rowers fundraising for the NAS received a warm welcome from the Queen Mary 2 at the weekend, in what the four-man crew described as the “highlight” of their epic voyage.

The National Autistic Society has ramped up its legal campaigning with the launch of a new Autism Legal Network and a call for cases with the potential to change the law for the half a million people with autism in the UK.

The Government has launched a new consultation on the statutory guidance it is producing for local authorities and health bodies delivering services for adults with autism in England.

This unique one-day conference in central London will give practical guidance to criminal justice professionals, and an opportunity to discuss best practice and learn key skills and techniques for working with people with autism.

Picturehouse Cinemas held a series of autism-friendly screenings at their sites around the country last year. These proved so popular with families that more screenings are now taking place.

The National Autistic Society welcomes the Government's commitment that autism will receive particular attention during their consultation on education for children with special educational needs (SEN).

We’re excited to announce that the NAS has been chosen as an official charity for The Artemis North Atlantic Rowing Challenge.

Our Manchester Autism Resource Centre is running social skills workshops in each of the 10 Greater Manchester Authorities over the next year. All are free to attend.

The National Autistic Society has responded to a judgement of the Supreme Court in A v Essex [2010] UKSC 33. Despite disappointment due to the Justices' ruling against the family, the judgement did clarify the individual right to an education.

The National Autistic Society welcomes a commitment from the new Education Secretary Michael Gove and SEN Minister Sarah Teather to carry out a wide-ranging consultation on special educational needs.

The Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee is seeking your views on the general principles of the Autism (Scotland) Bill.

On Wednesday 7 July between 2.30 and 4pm there will be a debate in Westminster Hall on CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and autism.

If you are someone who uses care and support services, or if you care for a friend or relative who does, we want to know how the services you or they use have changed recently.

The National Autistic Society has established a ground-breaking partnership with Remploy, the UK's leading provider of employment services for disabled people, to help increase the number of people with autism entering mainstream employment.

The Government’s Academies Bill has passed its first parliamentary hurdle in the House of Lords. The first debate on the Bill was dominated by discussions about its impact on children with special educational needs.

We're conducting research into mental health in children and young people with autism in Northern Ireland. We want to find out about families' experiences of mental health services in the country, so we can make good mental health for children with autism a reality.

On Tuesday 7 June the You Need To Know campaign was officially launched in Parliament to a packed audience and over 100 parliamentarians.

Today, The National Autistic Society launches its new campaign, You Need To Know. Our research has found a shocking lack of support for many children with autism who also have mental health problems.

Read our archive of news stories about autism and The National Autistic Society.