Autism scheme success
Saturday, May 24, 2008 (11:09:15)

Posted by lightfoot

A ground-breaking scheme to help borough autism sufferers cope with difficult situations has proved a big success.

The scheme - a partnership between West Midlands Police and the charity autism.west midlands - involves people with autism carrying a pocket-sized attention card to alert people of their disorder.

People affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can carry the credit card sized piece of plastic with them at all times and present it to someone if a difficult situation presents itself.

Sue Hatton, learning and professional development manager for autism.west midlands, said: "People with autism are often the victims of crime as they are very vulnerable.

"Often their actions are misinterpreted and this is where incidents can occur or they can unknowingly be an accomplice to a crime.

"We have developed the attention cards in order to help protect people with autism.

"The cards can be presented if a situation arises or they are questioned over a particular incident, as in many cases people with autism may not respond in the appropriate way or may have difficulty understanding what is going on."
The attention card has now been adopted by other parts of the West Midlands and other regions of the country, which indicates its success and practical application for people with ASD.

For details visit the website www.autismwestmidlans.org.uk or call 0121 450 7580.

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