Amendments to last email:-
29/10/04
I have sent a copy of this email to BBC Radio 4, 'You and Yours', for their 'Autism Series'.
I have read the story in 3 papers this morning(see links below), but no-one states that Health and Social Services should take some blame and also the Police for this 'tragic-case'. Paul Smith's family are still living in 'denial' and saying their son is innocent and from reading what NAS are saying their living in 'DENIAL' too and these Professional Spokesperson's,
within these mainstream ND Charities are totally being 'misinformed' of the 'reality of living with ND impairments in this world'
What are they 'hiding' and who are they 'protecting' with their false paternalistic rhetoric?
I don't know if any of you are aware of the ND author Jessica Peers who has written books on the 'dark-side' of Aspergers Syndrome and other ND impairments.
It's fresh to hear that ND's have a 'dark-side' too and under 'extreme-conditions', that ND's are not these 'angelic', 'law abiding citizens' with 'high morals and ethics' and 'don't tells lies' and 'are 'always honest'.
In my experience from a personal experience and also being around ND's all these theories are utter nonsense. ND's are similar to NT's that they are 'not honest all the time' and do 'tells-lies'.
These are some of 'the-myths' and 'stereotypes' that need to be challenged if ND's are going to be seen as 'equals' within Society.
All ND's are individuals with their own personalities, and different characteristics. They also have been 'nurtured' differently within the peer groups and families. They have developed their own personality, different interests, in which some are 'obsessional' and may be dangerous towards themselves and others and need careful monitoring and supervision and
intervention throughout their lifecourse( the earlier the better).
As I said each ND individuals as different circumstances and experiences and it's how we educate, support and 'nurture' ND individuals within families and society, including appropriate specialist health and social care support, from a 'client centred approach' the meets the ND's individuals needs.
All I can say that we need to take each individual ND case on it's own merits; and yes their is a 'dark-side' to the ND 'human condition', that we all need to be aware of within Society. We've all got it, I was informed of this in my psychology lectures at University. I was told by the psychology lecturer we as humans, ND's and NT's have the 'freewill' to play into this 'dark-side' of the human condition.
It was refreshing to hear Jessica Peers speak about this within her book and challenging these 'myths' I mention above about ND's personalities and characteristics within the ND Community, that are the same as many NT individuals.
Jessica Peers book is called:- Asparagus Dreams
Expelled from mainstream education and vaguely aware she has something called 'Asparagus' Syndrome, 12-year-old Jessica is sent away to a residential school for young people with autism. Here, at first miserable and misunderstood, she spends the next five years trying to cope with the strict school system - fighting against misguided teacher interventions, dealing with the onset of adolescence and fitting in with the other pupils. Recalling her school years with humour and insight, Jessica takes the reader right inside what it feels like to have AS. Her account will open the eyes of readers to the difficulties, and the rewards, of this condition.
I will state that many ND's have great social and communication difficulties within 'trying to be normal' within our Society.
Yes, they are very vulnerable and can be easily exploited. They have great difficulties in understanding the 'world around them' and understanding all 'social boundaries' and 'sexual boundaries' too.
They have great difficulties in reading others body-language and behavioural signals. I will state that many young ND men misread the signals given off my young girls and women and live within a total confucius state. It's very difficult for some ND adolescent young-boys and young-men and young-girls and women too trying to fit into this world.
I am in the opinion that many ND men and women need to access sexual education and therapy, because due to being ND they may have 'arrested-psycho-sexual-developments'.
I know sexual education throughout history has been denied to all disabled children, especially those with Learning Difficulties, but the Government need to change this strategy immediately, because disabled children/adolescents, become active sexually too. As I have said previously this is a 'taboo-area' that needs to be appropriately challenged by all ND disabled people.
As I have said too many people that it's normal for children to be flirtatious and outgoing within their development, but these 'signals' may be misread by many ND young-men, especially those who are going through their 'adolescent' and have normal sexual urges, but many of these ND young-men have great difficulties with understanding these 'signals' and controlling their 'impulsive sexual urges' and need close supervision and monitoring, especially through this difficult adolescent period. They need 'one-one' specialist counselling, social and communication skills training, sex education and in some case 'psycho-sexual' therapy.
It's about time that we all stopped living in 'denial'. These important services are not available to many ND individuals throughout their lifecourse and especially within their childhood and adolescent period( the most important development stages).
This needs to change rapidly, especially after this tragic case. Many ND's throughout their lifecourse may need 24/7 health and social care and accommodation that meets their assessed needs.
They need appropriate specialist 'mentors' and coaches' and urgent 'interventions' when their behaviour is becoming dangerous to themselves and others.
The 'public-bodies' should 'not ignore these 'RED' 'warning-signals' and need to intervene and take positive action immediately. There need to be a 'holistic' 'person centered approach', with education for the all family, within appropriate treatments and therapy programmes for the ND person and also parents, families and carers too, who are all living with the ND experiences.
I would also like to mention that ND's are 'extreme-machines' with 'roller-coaster of emotions' and do find it extremely difficult living within this world, especially with all the daily personal life and environmental stressors too, that each ND individual as to contend with each day and overcome these hurdles. Many ND's due to being bullied throughout their lifecourse need 'urgent interventions' from the 'public-bodies'.
I will state very clearly that I believe that many ND's are suffering with undiagnosed 'Post Traumatic Stress Disorder' (PSTD) which need urgent intervention. I know within my own research this is very common with many adults with ASD's and SpLd's, due to all the discrimination and abuse they have suffered throughout their lifecourse. I will state again that PTSD needs to be 'picked-up' early within a ND persons life.
Also, finally that in this 'tragic-case' again it has been mentioned within the media that Paul Smith had been 'bullied'.
How many times do I and others hear this about ND disabled children and adults and also towards all other disabled people with other impairments within our Society, but nothing ever changes and the Government don't give the appropriate specialist resources to tackle bullying against disabled people in our culture, then they wonder why many of these 'victims' of bullying then become 'perpetrators' of 'sexual and physical' violence towards others, especially more males within our Society.
There is a 'transference' of their 'internalised-oppression' projected onto their 'victims'. They don't understand that they have become the 'oppressor' themselves, due to being oppressed and abused throughout their lifecourse. This is a cycle that needs to be broken now.
I am not saying that all 'victims' of abuse, become perpetrators of abuse.
All I can say again it's about time that we stopped 'burying our heads in the sand' and stop living in 'Denial' and 'actively-listen' to the real ND lifestories and 'Learn the Lessons' from the negative and positive ND lifestories to create a better future for us all.
Kind-Regards
Colin Revell, BA Social Sciences, Dips. Community and Youth Work, NEBSM,NACAB, City and Guild ( in a personal capacity) and ND 'user-led' basic human and civil rights campaigner, educator, peer-advocate and researcher
Stories within the media today 29/10/04 about the Rosie May Storrie tragic
sad case....
The Guardian.....Repeat attacker, 18, is jailed for Rosie murder
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1338815,00.htmlA
spokesman for the National Autistic Society said: "There would be no reason to suspect that someone with Asperger's Syndrome would be likely to be more aggressive towards other people than any other person of a similar age
"We get more issues around people with Asperger's Syndrome being bullied than being bullies. But if someone with Asperger's Syndrome did become aggressive that would be complicated by the fact that they might not be able
to understand the consequences".
The Sun....Rosie killer a serial perv....
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004501727,00.html
The Independent.....Teenager gets life for murder of 10-year-old girl at
party.....
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=577169
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