1. INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS Miroslava Jelínková Jiří Domanský „AUTISM SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN A POSITIVE WAY THROUGHOUT ALL. DISABILITY IS SUBTLE AND INVISIBLE. PEOPLE WITH AUTISM DO NOT BRING PROBLEMS TO SOCIETY, THEY NEED OUR HELP.”

2. A: Increased awareness of the population within the whole country (whole Europe) B: Increased awareness within local districts C: Increased awareness among people with autism (incl. Asperger syndrome) and among their families D: Increased awareness among specialists: pediatricians, family doctors, other specialists

3. AUTISTIK is NGO, our members are mostly parents, some of them are parents- professionals, we are all volunteers. Our view and our experience could be different from the point of view of specialists. We would like to present the brief account of our “good practice” in the Czech Republic, which could be useful for other organisation and could be to a certain extent generalised.

4. Basic principles of dissemination of information

5. People with autism are human beings as everybody of us, they are not extraterrestrials. They have hard in-born handicap, because of it they have special needs, which require special services. Some people with deep handicaps must be restricted in some civil rights (because of their security), but anybody must not be restricted in his/her human rights. See: Charter of Rights of People with Autism

6. Basic principles of dissemination of information Autism is a very broad spectrum. Our approach to people with autism must be individualised. Within the autistic spectrum we find a wide range of abilities and disabilities, wide range of differences. There are not only “idiots savant” and Rainmen. Especially mass media are seeking for sensations, they do not pay proper attention to “uninteresting” handicaps. We have to draw attention to the most obvious disability (communication, social understanding), physically people with autism do not look different.

7. Basic principles of dissemination of information We have to explain common mistake. “Normal” people are convinced that their model of life is the best and only existing one and they try to fit it to autistic people. It could be harmful thing. Our task is to help people with autism to feel happy and safe in our common world. We have to build bridges between our and their perception of the world. Less disabled high functioning individuals with autism or people with Asperger syndrome should explain how they experience life with autism and we have to give them this possibility.

8. CONCLUSIONS

9. Autism is the pervasive handicap, the help must be also pervasive. To be successful all “autism friendly” people, organisations, parents, specialists must closely cooperate, they should pull together. If there is some disharmony among organisations, it should be solved by mutual communication and not quarrelling in public or media. We have to listen to people with autism and give them possibility to express their view. It could to increase their self-esteem.

10. CONCLUSIONS All information must be presented in the whole country. It is necessary that all services are accessible for everybody who is interested in autism or who needs help. The net of coordinators proved to be very useful. The instructive leaflets and DVDs helped a lot. Also exhibitions of art of people with autism are a good practice.

11. CONCLUSIONS To increase public awareness means to include in this process also parents. Autism is very difficult diagnosis and information from specialists is often not enough. As to our experience parents receive very positively information from other parents and they appreciate possibility of sharing experience. Practical trainings are one of the best ways how to increase awareness of families and help them to be efficient educators and caretakers.

12. CONCLUSIONS Politicians on all levels must be included in our strategy for helping people with autism. International cooperation and sharing of good experience help a lot. Patience and perseverance are main qualities for person working on the field of autism.

13. Thank you for your attention