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WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
2nd of April 2008

MANIFESTO

Last November, the General Assembly of United Nations, adopted a resolution which declared the 2nd of April as the World Autism Awareness Day. Representatives of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and those who love them would take the opportunity presented by this occasion to remind that:

  1. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
    1. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. (art. 5)
    2. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. (art. 22)
    3. 1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
      2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (art. 23)
    4. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. (art. 24)
    5. 1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
      2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. (art. 25)
    6. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (art. 26)
    7. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (art. 29
  1. According to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, of 1959,
    Every child, without any exception whatsoever, needs special safeguards and care, to enjoy nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services. The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities and to become a useful member of society. The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation, and especially from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination.
  1. The Charter of Rights for Persons with Autism, agreed as a Declaration, by the European Parliament on the 9th of May 1996, was prepared for adoption by all the countries of the world. It states that:

    “People with autism should share the same rights and privileges enjoyed by all of the population where such are appropriate and in the best interests of the person with autism.”

    These rights should be defended, protected and put into force, by appropriate legislation in each State.

However, the World Autism Organization states that:-

  1. It takes about a year and a half, even if you are lucky, to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Given the universally acknowledged importance of early intervention this delay is a matter of serious regret and of lost opportunities.
  2. Most diagnoses are performed by private consultancies and not by public services of each of the States.
  3. In most parts of the world, once they have a diagnosis, early, basic intervention, vital for the development of the child is provided only by agencies who must charge for this provision. There are not enough public services to cover the needs of these children.
  4. Once the diagnosis is obtained, in most cases, one of the parents has to leave their work to attend to the needs of the child. Most of the time it is the woman who takes this step, adversely affecting the family economy, and her own development and well-being.
  5. In those regions where elementary education is available and, perhaps, compulsory, children with ASDs can attend school. However, once they finish this period, there is a very severe shortage of services for transition to adult life and preparation for the rest of their lives.
  6. There is a destructive lack of independence for those individuals with ASDs who function at a higher level. This results from the lack of preparation and of support when they do attempt to integrate into the working world.
  7. There are inadequate provisions for participation in leisure activities.
  8. As the parents get older or die, people with ASD become even more dependent. The people with ASD, only very rarely, have a residence or centre, where their needs can be adequately met.
  9. When old age arrives, the dependency of these people increases dramatically. There are virtually no services for elderly people with ASDs anywhere in the world

According to data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the occurrence or this disorder has increased from 1 in 2.500 for decades, to 1 in 150 in 2007. It is reasonable to assume that this increase applies in all the countries in the World. We are facing a situation that demands immediate solutions from the authorities. These solutions must offering adequate attention throughout life.

We applaud and celebrate this initiative of the ambassador of Qatar in the United Nations. We consider that the signing of this manifesto must mean the commitment, on a day by day basis, of the States, and of civil, legal and academic societies, to respect and enhance all the rights, that must be available to individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

We would also ask governments to commit to encouraging and supporting research which focuses on improving the quality of life of people with ASDs. Moreover, we ask them to understand the problems and commit themselves to raising awareness and encourage the development of a welcoming and supportive society.

Madrid, 2nd April 2008

 
   
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