What is autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the way a person relates to the world around them. It affects an estimated 535,000 people in the UK. As a spectrum disorder, autism manifests itself in many different ways: some people with autism have accompanying learning disabilities, others at the higher end of the spectrum, such as those with Asperger syndrome, have average or above average IQ.

But everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world. For the purpose of this report, we use the term ‘autism’ to describe all autistic spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome and other diagnoses noted in responses. Due to the inconsistent and imprecise nature of diagnosis, respondents were asked to describe their child as able (average IQ, verbal), medium-functioning, or less able (limited speech and self-care skills). People with autism all experience the following three main areas of difficulty, known as the ‘triad of impairments’:
Social interaction: difficulty with social relationships, ranging from being withdrawn, to appearing aloof and indifferent, to simply not fitting in easily. People with autism may also seem insensitive to the feelings of others. This can lead to problems in the playground, with making friends and in turn, bullying.
Social communication: difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, ranging from difficulties with developing speech, to repetitive or formal use of language. People with autism may also not fully understand gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice. Understanding teachers and participating in class can be challenging as a result.
Social imagination: difficulty with understanding how others think and feel and in the development of interpersonal play and imagination. A person with autism may pursue a special interest rigidly and repetitively without recourse to others. Difficulty in the area of social imagination may also manifest itself in response to change, so children with autism may find it hard to cope with changes to their timetable, for example. Children with autism may struggle with subjects that use abstract ideas. The impact of these three areas of difficulty on the life of a person will vary: every person with autism is an individual. A minority of children will excel in certain areas, but all have strengths to be nurtured. In addition to the triad of impairments, people with autism often have heightened senses and may be extremely distressed at noise or brightness, for example. Other developmental disorders such as
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, Tourette syndrome and dyslexia often occur amongst people with autism, who are also more vulnerable to mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety.

The inclusion debate: what do parents of children with autism think?
Advocates of mainstream and specialist education for children with autism are often pitted against each other, the two positions apparently irreconcilable. When we asked parents what kind of school they would ideally like their child to go to, no clear front-runner emerged. Taking their views as a whole the answer is not mainstream or special, but both. When given a theoretical choice, parents are fairly evenly split between mainstream schools, special schools and resource bases in mainstream schools as the best option for their child. All children with autism are individuals with differing strengths and needs: autism is a spectrum disorder. The autistic spectrum includes children with profound learning disabilities with little or no verbal communication, through to those with an average or high IQ, including those with Asperger syndrome. Moreover, the barriers faced by children with autism are social,so the support they need cannot be determined just by a medical model of disability. It is not surprising, therefore, that parents want a wide spectrum of educational provision including mainstream schools, special schools, resource bases in mainstream schools and dual placements. Although the high profile inclusion debate relates to the type of school wherechildren with autism should be educated, it is expertise in autism that is important to parents, irrespective of the setting. Of the 36% of parents who think a resource base in a mainstream school is the ideal option, 95% want the base to be autism-specific. Similarly, of the 36% of parents who feel a special school would be best, 83% want an autism-specific special school.

Pot Holes on Roads in Haverhill Suffolk

The Conservative County Council, put £2.2 million Environment & Transport budget into reserves that should have been spent on roads in Suffolk including Haverhill this financial year. With the way the pot-holes have been filled, we feel this is outrageous, as the people who drive our cars, buses and drive for a living are being short changed in paying their Council Tax in this way.

Why Labour?

The NHS is the Labour Party’s greatest achievement. We created it, we saved it, we value it and we will always support it. Over Labour’s 11 years in government, substantial and sustained investment in the NHS backed by vital reforms have transformed the service. We have ensured the NHS has the staff it needs and backed them to deliver improvements in quality and capacity, driving up standards and driving down waits. Now we are bringing healthcare closer to communities and giving patients more power and control, making sure the NHS is there for you when and where you need it.

Key achievements:

Waiting lists are down by 614,000 since 1997. Most patients are now waiting less than 13 weeks, and by the end of this year nobody will wait more than 18 weeks for treatment.
Over 99% of suspected cancer patients are seen by a specialist within two weeks of being referred by their GP, and over 99% of cancer patients start their treatment within a month of diagnosis.
Over 38,000 more doctors and 80,000 more nurses since Labour came to power.
Investment in the NHS has trebled since 1997.
Labour has built over 90 new NHS walk-in centres and over 650 one-stop primary care centres, and is investing £750 million in a new generation of modern, convenient community hospitals.
Cancer mortality rates in under-75s have decreased by 17.1 per cent since 1996, saving nearly 9,000 lives in 2006 compared to 1996. We are saving 31,000 lives from cardiovascular diseases every year compared to 1996.

This is a open letter to Cllr Patricia O’Brien portfolio holder for children, schools and young people’s services at Suffok County Council

Dear Cllr O’Brien,

I have just started campaigning for a special school in Haverhill for children that are of mainstream ability but still have considerable difficulties in coping in mainstream schools so it is good news that you are organising a review to create a new day school for children with the most severe social emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD).

I implore you to seriously consider having this school in Haverhill. Our town is expanding rapidly and for a large town like ours the provision for special needs children is sadly lacking, for instance the County Inclusive Resource provision has to come right across the county from Ipswich. Towns in Suffolk that are smaller than our town such as Sudbury and Newmarket have special needs units.

We have a large amount of special needs children attending mainstream schools in Haverhill and I feel it is because of the financial implications in sending some of them part-time to special units across the county or full time out of county that our special needs children in Haverhill miss-out. I also know that one of the reasons some have behavioural difficulties is because of the stress in going to mainstream schools. These children also desperately need to be taught social and life skills to enable them to become more independent later on in life and mainstream schools just do not have the experience, expertise or capacity to teach them these essential skills therefore, unlike some of the children who are taught in special schools, as adults they tend to rely on relatives or care workers.

Haverhill Town Council are having a meeting with your special needs Officers on the 25th November 2008 at the Arts Centre starting 7pm to talk about special needs in Haverhill and I would be delighted if you are able to attend.

Regards

Patrick Hanlon.

Battery car powers into town to launch unique scheme

10 July, 2007

People in Haverhill will soon be able to do even more to help safeguard the environment – thanks to a unique battery recycling trial to be launched next week.

The innovative kerbside collection will see distinctive magenta bags, bearing the message ‘Do the positive thing. Recycle your batteries’, delivered to every home in the Haverhill area. Residents are invited to fill these bags with their used, part-used and unwanted batteries. There will be two collection schemes in operation, with some residents asked to leave the bag on top of their blue bin and others or to hang it on a hook attached to their blue bin’s handle.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council is carrying out the trial in partnership with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) which aims to encourage residents to recycle more batteries more often. The scheme allows residents to recycle all types of household batteries, including AAA, AA, C, and D-size batteries as well as button, mobile phone, laptop and rechargeable batteries.

Cllr Peter Stevens, St Edmundsbury’s Cabinet member with responsibility for the environment, said:

“This innovative trial once again underlines St Edmundsbury’s commitment to safeguarding the environment and cements our status as a lead authority for recycling. Our residents have always been keen and careful recyclers and we hope this simple and convenient trial will encourage them to put their unwanted batteries to a good use while significantly reducing the amount which go to landfill.

“We hope the trial will be a great success and are delighted to be taking part.”

St Edmundsbury’s scheme has been funded by WRAP and forms part of the country’s biggest battery recycling trial. Results from the different trials which are being carried out across the country will help determine how best to collect batteries in the future. This comes following the introduction of the EU Batteries Directive, which requires 25 percent of all household batteries to be collected for recycling by 2012.

For more information on the trial, you can:
contact waste management at St Edmundsbury on 01284 757320;
phone the national helpline on 08453 313131; or
visit www.recyclenow.com

The scheme will be rolled out in Bury St Edmunds next month.