MMR vaccine - autism link

'In light of new evidence that has emerged clearing Dr Wakefield of the allegations that he fabricated study data involving MMR vaccines and symptoms of autism, Dr Wakefield is now publicly demanding a retraction from the British Medical Journal and author Brian Deer. Documents just made public reveal that another medical research team which included a senior pathologist independently documented evidence of a possible MMR vaccine - autism link 14 months before Dr Wakefield's paper first appears in The Lancet -- based on several of the same children appearing in Dr Wakefield's study.' Read it here.

NAS position on home education clause

Proposals in the Children, Schools and Families Bill implement the recommendations of the Badman Review to register and monitor home educators:

Research suggests that children who are home educated are nearly twice as likely to have statements of SEN, and children with autism are heavily represented within this group. A lack of understanding of autism means the school experiences of children with the condition are frequently marred by misunderstandings, inadequate support and often bullying. Some parents are, consequently, left with little alternative other than to home school in the best interests of their child's education and mental and physical well-being. In some of the worst cases we also hear that parents are placed under pressure by schools to remove their children under threat of permanent exclusion or prosecution.

Far too many parents of children with autism who home educate are simply left alone 'to get on with it' without any support at all or say their local authority has been unhelpful and even hostile to their attempts to provide an appropriate education. This is particularly where the relationship between the parents and the local authority has broken down, during parents fight to get the right support for their child.

It is vital that the proposals in the Bill take into account the needs of this group of children. We want to see local authorities who have the training and resources in autism to be able to work in partnership with parents and give them the support they need to home educate their children. It is absolutely essential that this is a two-way relationship with an emphasis on support and not monitoring alone.

Mark Lever, chief executive of The National Autistic Society, here.

Home-ed news around the world

USA
Mom turns to homeschooling to avoid 'experiments' on autistic child The school psychologist wanted to put the child in a room and expose her to known triggers to see how quickly she escalated and what her behavior would be.

Sweden
Court endorses 'kidnapping' of 7-year-old - Social services allowed to keep custody of homeschooled child

"Any nation that severely restricts the ability of parents to choose alternative forms of education, including home education, in the name of creating national unity, cannot call itself a free nation. Freedom necessarily requires the individual to have the liberty to think differently and believe differently than programs instituted by the current rulers of any nation. Educational freedom is the cornerstone for all freedom of thought and conscience," said Michael Farris, HSLDA chairman.

UK
It appears that the NASUWT supports a school-based system of education for all and reckons that the only way the Government can meet the Every Child Matters' aims is by making schooling compulsory for all children. FFI see this months' issue of their magazine (article on p. 23). You can read the NASUWT's submission to the consultation here.

Autism reality

Trailer of a critically acclaimed documentary film about autism by Alex Plank, an autistic film director. At 7mns30s: the usual story of how schools and teachers just don't understand and the resulting suffering for the aspie child...

Teachers waterboarded my autistic son

Autistic teenager was reportedly held under running water, forced to eat his own vomit and made to sit in his soiled clothes for hours.

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Home educated aspies on the news

"United by a love of dogs and photography two autistic siblings have worked together to make a special canine calendar. The siblings, who both have Asperger's syndrome, are home-schooled by their mother, who explained: "As part of their home education I believe it is important to do an annual project to raise funds and awareness for a good cause."

Read it here.

Self taught aspie now at Cambridge

Alex Goodenough, an Asperger’s sufferer who taught himself at home after his local school rejected him because of his condition, has won a place at Cambridge.

Read it here.

Save DLA and AA from being axed

Time is running out: A government green paper has revealed plans to stop paying disability benefits and hand the cash over to social services instead. Join the Benefits and Work campaign to stop these cuts here.

The mother who set up a new school for her son

"Eighteen months ago, Freddie Buckner's schooldays were often spent washing up mugs in the staff room after being excluded from mainstream lessons for lashing out at teachers and his fellow pupils. The eight-year-old's complex behavioural needs, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, meant that teaching him alongside other children in mainstream schools was deemed impossible. So the search began to find him a suitable school."

More here...

The curious incident of the straight-A student

"Alex Goodenough was the cleverest kid in his school - so why didn't he get a sixth form place? Decca Aitkenhead talks to his family about the impact of Asperger's."

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TreeHouse welcomes government’s EHE review

TreeHouse, the national charity for autism education, welcomes the acknowledgement within the government’s review of home education that children with special educational needs (SEN) are disproportionately represented among the population of children who are educated at home.

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Give us respect, not suspicion

"There are no plans to change parents' well-established rights to educate their children at home," says the government.

Yet it has clearly decided that long-standing arrangements in England surrounding home education require closer attention.

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Call to make MMR jab compulsory

A former chairman of the British Medical Association is calling for the MMR jab to be made compulsory.

Public health expert Sir Sandy Macara believes children should not be able to go to school unless they have first been vaccinated.

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Many autism cases 'undiagnosed'

A significant number of children with autism and related disorders could be undiagnosed, a study has suggested.

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Home education on the news

A DOZEN friends and family of a young autistic boy took to the skies to raise £3,500 for his continuing home education.

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Alison was shocked when her five-year-old daughter Lily did not get a place at the nearest school, and education bosses offered her a place at a school two miles away, instead. She decided that she did not want Lily to have to travel unsupervised in a taxi, and began to give her home tuition.

A council spokesman said: “We have provided guidance and information regarding home education grants."

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Autistic girl 'shut in room after getting upset at school'

"An autistic girl felt like a prisoner after being shut in a tiny, windowless room for getting upset at school, a tribunal heard."

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Tears after autistic pupil’s attacks

"A teacher said she was left in tears and hiding in her school’s staff room following the last of four violent attacks by a pupil. Teresa McCarthy, 51, quit her job because of stress and depression following the assaults by a 13-year-old boy, who is autistic."

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How many times are autistic boys left in tears and hiding somewhere in school? If the manifestation of their stress levels is neurotypically interpreted as an "attack", how can they get the empathy and care they need, let alone an education? Do they have the option to quit school and enjoy an environment truly suited to their special needs?

Aspies on the news...

Purley Asperger's boy still without school place

"A Purley boy with Asperger’s syndrome is still languishing at home, two months after being turned away from school."

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Tony Attwood talks about Aspergers

Asperger's expert Tony Attwood - 20070423 Podcast Episode

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No place for aspies

"LITTLE Tyler Foster has had to stay at home since the start of term because education chiefs cannot find him a school place. The five-year-old has Asperger’s syndrome, which affects his ability to make friends and interact."

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Running costs ‘too high’ at Asperger’s centres: "Two centres for young people with Asperger’s Syndrome near Shrewsbury are being forced to close next year because of funding difficulties."

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