National Autistic Society in Northern Ireland - Where? Really?

The National Autistic Society (NAS)  in England are set to build yet another specialist school for young people with autism.  You can read the story in this link: here

It would be nice if the NAS would do the same for Northern Ireland. The charity exists here, it has members, it's funded but what they do here, is beyond me.

The charity is currently asking for parents in Northern Ireland  to participate in a questionnaire about the education of children who have autism in Northern Ireland. It will be very interesting to find out what their conclusions will be. It will be even more interesting to see if they work cooperatively with the Department of Education to actually do something for our kids. I hope that 'research' will not just be another book-end to gather dust on someone's shelf. Report after report, so what? All this 'reporting' creates jobs, but what does it really do for our children? The state of affairs regarding education of children on the autistic spectrum is still deplorable.

We need teachers to teach our children who have expertise, and who have access to specialised, evidence based training.

Our children who have special educational needs require their academic outcomes to be measured against children who do not have those needs.

We have no way of tracking their achievement or knowing what they actually need if we don't compare to the rest of the pupil population.

We need teaching environments that assist with the teaching of our children, not hinder it. We need to eliminate the segregation of our children into 'special schools' or places that label them further with learning disabilities just because teachers don't know how to teach them and we need to teach to their strengths instead of highlighting their difficulties.

We need access to a developmental and academic curriculum which ALL children must aspire to, one that presumes academic achievement for all.

Most of all we need teachers together in schools who are on the same page about our children, that they are bright, and quite capable of learning if only teachers would aspire to teach them. Put teachers who believe in our children together in a school and what have you got? A school that is great for our kids! Now, that is what I would call a 'special' school.

Well NAS? What about it - it's great that you do so much work in England, but here in Northern Ireland, your charity is a non-player - with very few members and even less political pull.

The NAS here in Northern Ireland takes full advantage of the reputation it has built elsewhere over the past 40 years, but indigenously, very little has been achieved by the NAS, more a talking shop than anything else and certainly not made up of movers or shakers. At least in England the NAS tries to be all things to all people.

Here in Northern Ireland, the NAS  is no things to no people. Why do we put up with it?

It is time to force the autism charities into the background. It's the government's duty to educate our children. Voluntaries cannot do this and these charities and voluntary organisations never should have existed in the first place, if the government had been doing their job properly.

Here is an update from the NAS on the what will be happening in the NI based NAS once they hire a new Operations Director: (from the NAS website)

"As part of the ongoing development of services for people with autism and their families, The National Autistic Society has been reveiwing the service offered to families in Northern Ireland. As part of this review we are recruiting an Operations Director whose role will be to develop high-quality pioneering contracted services.

We are committed to growing the range of support and services for people with autism and their families in a sustainable way and this additional senior post will allow us to take advantage of new opportunities and to develop and expand our autism services. This strategy builds on the excellent work that has been carried by our team in Northern Ireland.

We hope that you will continue to support us as we endeavour to develop and grow autism services in this difficult economic climate.

For more information please contact Shirelle Stewart on 07789 941 239 or Regina Cox on 07766 247 817"

Hmm, what that says to me is that the NAS in Northern Ireland requires command, direction and purpose and for that reason, an Operations Director post has been created to get the organisation sorted out.

Hopefully, this new post has been filled by a parent who has not lost touch with what it is like on the ground, trying to battle for an appropriate education for a child or services and support.