Polly Tommey, founder of the Autism Trust, whose 12-year-old son Billy is autistic, has plastered her name and telephone number on poster sites throughout the country asking for the Prime Minister to get in touch. More than £500,000 worth of advertising space and printing and design services have been donated towards the campaign by media companies.
Ms Tommey said, 'I want the Prime Minister to listen to me as a mother of a child with autism. I feel that our community is being ignored. I don't expect him to have all the answers, but I want him to understand there are very serious issues going on, such as family breakdown, parents committing suicide, sometimes along with their children, when they feel they can no longer cope.'
The Autism Trust wants the Government to help fund a network of outreach centres for people with autism and those involved in their care. The charity has already raised £1m towards the centres, which it estimates would cost £2m.
Ms Tommey added, 'Autism numbers have increased dramatically from one in 10,000 in 1988 to one in 100 today. Unless the problems are understood, we will see an underclass of disaffected and desperate autism households.'
Phil Hope, minister for care services at the Department of Health, said, 'I fully understand the concerns of people with autism and their families, and I am firmly on their side. There are some fantastic services out there, but I want to see more of these across the country so that every child and adult with autism gets the support they deserve. We are developing a new national strategy for adults with autism that will be underpinned with statutory guidance, subject to consultation and assessment of benefits. I want a national debate to involve people with autism, their families, and the people on the front line of delivering support.'
Further information
A petition can be signed at www.theautismtrust.com
