Autism - What do you feel would help make a real difference?

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If you had an endless budget what would you do to support those in need on the autism spectrum, what would be your priorities!

It would depend on what my childs issues are and there severity. I don't look at my son as AS or autistic, I look at him as a child that has a really hard time with language, someone who is impulsive and needs to learn how to work through that so he doesn't get in trouble, and someone who's best learning environment is a small, understimulating, warm environment where he can learn at his own pace, with a teaching style conducive to his learning style, and a discipline plan that is NOT one size fits all.

Now that I really read your question: Regarding all children on the spectrum

If I won the lottery, I would open up a school for kid on the spectrum. The tuition would be based on their income. It would include any therapies they need to be done at the school, (speech,OT,PT etc) and it would be organized by the child's need. HFA/AS kids would go to classrooms that are conducive to their sensory issues and learning styles etc, and the kids that need more intervention would to with those who can help them with their needs. The ratio of teachers/students would be whatever they can work with. NO HUGE CLASSES. I would also have a daycare for preschool and up for kids that need daycare but they are unable to find one that will work with thier children.

I would also organize a support group with several different people...therapists, teachers, parents, to help those who are parenting their kids with whatever they need, be it autism education or coping skills.

I'm not sure I would look at it that way because even if autism were cured other disabilities would not be. I guess I would change the way people treated those with disabilities and their perception of them.

Unfortunately, we aren't getting closer to either. Check out the Newsy site for more statistics of Autism on the rise.

Education of the public. Acceptance. Awareness. Accomodations for us at work and in public places to avoid sensory overloads or whatever.

We aren't defective. We are just different. Autism is a difference in sensory and cognitive processing of our environment. The only reason autism is percieved as a disorder is the hell the parents of very young autistic children have to live through. So they look for ways of making their child more "normal". This is also why the public thinks the autism is a childhood condition. Again, we need awareness. How few people realize there are autistic adults around?

Great question. Since my son and I both have AS, my natural tendency would be to think of what would help us the most, and maybe something along the same lines would also help other people. What would probably help my son the most would be to have another adult who could take him out on a regular basis and do fun activities with him, preferably with another child too. It could be in their home or out in the community, either one. It would also help my son to have more things at home that he could enjoy or would make him feel more comfortable. I'm thinking along the lines of special swings, bars to play on, an assortment of things that he could get a pleasing amount of sensory stimulation from.

I've thought about what would help me the most, and that would probably be to have someone come to my house one day a week and help me (physically and financially) with whatever things I need the most help with at the time. Maybe it would be catching up on the dishes, painting, organizing things, hanging curtains, whatever. Just a friendly helping hand. I can 'make it' on my own, just barely, but it sure is really difficult with no help at all and a ton of endless challenges. I'm sure other autistic adults, especially if they're also trying to raise an autistic child on their own, feel the same way.

definitely public education, lobbying for accommodation in the workplace to prevent talented people from being marginalized because they're different. better education support and programs that are individually tailored so kids don't end up feeling like failures.

YES! Also, protection from bullying. AS kids are bully magnets. It makes me wonder how much of our social issues and trust issues are due to the AS genes, and how much was programmed into us by years of bullying.

I would get rid of Autism Speaks. The members of the organization would be hung and any trace of their work burned.

I would also spend enough money on education so that classes were lowered to 10-15 students per class. Schools for people with Autism would open and I would spend money on public awareness so that they realize Autism isn't a disease. I would fund money to autistic people so that they have private workspaces at work where they wont get sensory overload. Funding money for helpers would be another good idea.

There's a lot that you could do to help people with Autism.

I would open a school exclusively for individuals with HFA or AS, and cater to their strengths. The entire point would be to shun traditional ideas of school. Students would have to cover and understand more material, but they would have far more freedom in how they developed comprehension, and in deciding their responsibilities.

The entire situation would be geared for the AS and HFA personality traits. I'm sure that if you had properly trained teachers promoting the development of special interests in an AS crowd, catering to each person's individual learning style, you'd see great things.

I want to see the public and especially teachers be educated! (How did no one see this until he was 14? Wish I had known more.)
Also much more for support. Such as social groups that don't cost an arm and a leg, so a kid has contact with other kids. If the numbers are so large, why aren't there groups in every community? No wonder these kids feel alone!
Lots of support available to the ones who are becoming adults and need someone else to lean on. I know there is self advocacy groups to learn. But I still worry, what if something happens to me? I'm the only one who understands him.
I get frustrated looking for local groups.
There needs to be more resources available. What I'm finding is few and far between.
But WP is always here. (Face to face would be nice though.)

getting homes or little villages or small towns dedicated to housing autistics and their families, soo important, with their own hospitals, their own schools, their own shopping store, their own mall, so everybody can live happier. thats where my money would go

Social research fcused on how to teach people to be more tolerant of others' differences. I don't think greater quantities of education would be better. Greater quality of education is what is needed. The question that needs to be researched is, "how do you teach people tolerance?" If you could answer this question by throwing unlimited funds at it, I think it would reduce human pain and suffering and overall improve the quality of life for everyone. Good luck.

All of the above.(warning: minor rant)
I have tried to explain my sensory sensitivities, and the basic response is: no-one else has a problem, you just have to live with it.
That's not acceptable. I have noticed that others' attitudes and behaviours may be accommodated , or a blind eye turned, but a request for a quiet working environment, or to be kept informed about developments , or for instructions to be written (rather than expecting me to remember what I've been told in a noisy chaotic environment.) is ignored.

Some empathy would be good.
Egs you might think my lack of eye contact makes me rude or shifty - I just don't like eye contact, and think better when I don't have to decipher your body language too.
You may think I am unsympathetic because I don't want to listen to your life story or every problem you've had in the last 5 years; but I have problems too, and in my experience people who share such information with strangers or bare aquaintances either want somrthing, or have NO sympathy for others.

Acceptance that we are people, and if you take the time to get to know us, we can be quite nice people.

Screw the public, no offence to them but they're not the ones in need. I'd be trying to educate aspies so they don't feel their only option is to live a life of fear and regret and set up some kind of system to help them get the most out of their lives in the ways they can/want to. I'd want to enfranchise them, make them feel they're involved in directing their own life make them feel useful etc etc. all those little important things that aren't happening as far as I see. The public are responsible for themselves, many on the autistic spectrum have never been responsible for anything including themselves due to not having the confidence or not being trusted we should be giving those things to people even if it means providing a safe environent for that to happen in.

Providing constructive proactive help that helps people to help themselves.

Positive help and encouragement that focusses on what people can do, not criticising what they can't supposedly do, but supports improving a person's quality of life at a pace that s/he is happy with.

Not making people feel like 'broken' passive victims, but encouraging people to take responsibility for their lives (as far as they are reasonably able).

Not baby-talking, talking down to, condescending, fearing or pitying people.
But talking clearly, precisely and concisely, with concrete expectations as to what's required.

Pity is not empathy.

Encouraging people to use their specialist lone study skills/knowledge in a safe and non-judgmental, innovative/creative environment, possibly residential.

Quiet uncrowded and peaceful environments for people to work and live in.

I've noticed that my life became much better when I didn't see myself as a 'victim' and was encouraged to try and figure out my own workable solutions to problems. It was more satisfying if I felt that I had a say in how an issue should be tackled.

Information that doesn't demonise.

Work-around solutions to social issues.
Work-around solutions to environmental sensory overload.

Appreciating that not everyone is a 'social butterfly' and that not everyone has to be.

Appreciating that different people view the world in different ways and therefore, consequently learn and relate to the world experientially in different ways.

One on one mentoring/coaching for activities such as crafts, dance, music and art in a non-competitive uncrowded environment (where possible).

Learning that encourages independent discovery and research: computer work, hands on experiments/activities, one on one tutoring in an uncrowded environment/small class sizes.

Learning activities that encourage individual study, observation and analysis of the physical environment.

Independent school study projects on special interests/given topic. The student could then mentor/teach other students on this specialist topic, increasing self esteem. Specialist, self directed, independent study allowed in the curriculum.

Meditation, contemplation and relaxation techniques for stressful situations/overstimulation.

Genuine understanding and listening cost nothing.

This is a great question.

My instinct would be to spend the money on marketing.

I would pay whatever it took to identify and get next to Hollywood Stars, Athletes, Musicians, Scientists, Business Tycoons, politicians and indeed anyone successful and in the public domain and....................persuade as many as possible to get out of the closet.