Avtizem v Evropi 2010

Konferenca Avtizem v Evropi 2010 je letos potekala 12. oktobra, s predstavitvijo najbolj najnovejših informacij v Evropskem parlamentu. Na konferenci, ki je trajala štiri ure, so ugledni strokovnjaki s področja avtizma v Evropi govorili o zgodovini, mitih, dejstvih, težavah in rešitvah za avtizem.

Na žalost se ljudje na splošno še vedno ne zavedajo resnosti problema avtizma v Evropi. Ne jemljejo ga resno niti evropske institucije, ki bi morale začeti s spreminjanjem usmeritev zato, da lahko zaščitijo žrtve in usposobijo javne uslužbence.

Dr. Alvaro Ramírez, predsednik vseevropskega združenja za avtizem, je pojasnil zgodovinske vidike avtizma. Leta 1952 in v 1970-ih so avtizem diagnosticirali kot vrsto shizofrenije. V 1980-ih so avtizem klasificirali kot duševno motnjo, saj so številne zdravstvene zavarovalnice utrpele velike izgube zaradi zdravljenja avtizma. Ker spadajo “duševne motnje v podskupino zdravstvenih motenj,” so zdravstvene zavarovalnice prenehale zagotavljati sredstva za “duševne motnje”, kot sta homoseksualnost in avtizem. Eden izmed razlogov za to je, da ni obstajalo dovolj znanstvenih dokazov za to, da gre pri avtizmu za bolezen in ne za duševno motnjo. To seveda vključuje tudi politično sfero, saj, če ljudi z avtizmom klasificiramo kot duševno bolne, mora vlada zaščititi njihove državljanske pravice in jim zagotoviti boljšo kakovost življenja. Na žalost so vlade v Evropi še vedno ignorantske oz. želijo ostati ignorantske zaradi lastnih koristi. V evropskih državah ne obstaja oskrba za odrasle z avtizmom. V Latviji so na primer diagnosticirali prvi primer avtizma šele leta 2007, dokaj pozno, glede na njihov tehnološki razvoj. Še eden izmed problemov v Evropi je ta, da 90% staršev avtističnih otrok v določenih državah pusti svoje otroke v sirotišnicah, ker ne vedo, kaj naj bi z njimi počeli, vendar tudi sirotišnice tega ne vedo, saj nimajo ustreznega zdravljenja.

Andrew Wakefield, nekdanji kirurg in raziskovalec, najbolj poznan po svojih teorijah o povezavi med cepivom MMR, avtizmom in vnetno črevesno boleznijo, je pokazal, kako večina mitov o avtizmu ne drži. Z dejstvi, statistikami in grafi je predstavil, kako lahko avtizem povzroči okolje. Cepiva in strupene snovi, kot so pesticidi, lahko povzročijo nastanek avtizma pri dojenčkih.

Polly Tommey, ustanovitelj Sklada za avtizem, je govoril o življenju avtistov na primerih več tragičnih avtističnih zgodb, vključno z zgodbo o njegovem sinu. Diagnostika v Evropi je slaba, saj je v Veliki Britaniji na primer potrebno dve do devet let, da dobite diagnozo od Nacionalnega avtističnega združenja. Britanska vlada ne zagotavlja nobene zdravstvene pomoči ali izobraževanja. Ko policija aretira avtistične ljudi, ne vedo, kako bi z njimi ravnali oz. kam naj bi jih dali.

Evropska unija mora nekaj ukreniti, da zaščiti pravice avtističnih državljanov in pomaga njihovim družinam. Žrtve imajo dovolj ustrahovanja, stresa, finančne obremenitve, ločitev, pomanjkanja pomoči, obupa in samomorov, če omenimo le nekaj posledic avtizma. Okoli 5% evropskega prebivalstva ima avtizem. To je celotno prebivalstvo Belgije in Nizozemske! Potrebne so spremembe pri medicinski diagnostiki. Potrebno je oblikovati nove okoljske usmeritve. Za avtistične državljane je potrebno uveljaviti njihove državljanske pravice. Učitelje, javne uslužbence in ljudi na splošno je potrebno usposobiti in izobraziti zato, da bodo lahko pomagali avtistom. Evropska unija se mora začeti osredotočati na svoje ljudi in ne na povečanje trapastih proračunskih sredstev za šampanjec in nekoristne luksuzne stroške.
 

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AUTISM IN EUROPE 2010: AN UPDATE


On October 12, 2010 the conference Autism in Europe 2010: An Update was held in the European Parliament. Prominent figures in the field of autism in Europe spoke during this four-hour conference sharing history, myths, facts, problems, and solutions to autism. It is sad to see how the people in general are not aware how severe the problem of autism is in Europe. Even worse, autism is not taken seriously in Europe nor do the European institutions take it seriously. Realistically, European institutions must take autism seriously and they must start changing policies to protect victims and train public servants.

Dr. Alvaro Ramírez, chairman of the European Autism Public Health Alliance, explained historical aspects of autism. In 1952 and the 1970s, autism was diagnosed as some type of schizophrenia. During the 1980s autism was classified as a mental disorder because many health insurances were losing large amounts of money on treatments. Since “mental disorders are a subset of medical disorders,” autism stopped being funded by health insurances. In other words, “mental disorders” such as homosexuality and autism were not covered by health insurance. One of the several reasons to back up this idea was that there did not exist sufficient scientific evidence to prove autism as a disease and not a mental disorder. Of course, this involves the political realm because, if people with autism are classified as mentally ill, the government needs to protect its civil rights and ensure a better quality of life. Sadly, governments all across Europe remain in ignorance or wish to remain in ignorance for their own benefit. European countries do not have any adult care for people with autism. Latvia, for example, diagnosed its first case of autism in 2007, rather a little late, given all of the technological advances. To highlight another problem in Europe, 90% of the parents of autistic children in certain countries put their own children in orphanages because they do not know what to do with them, but orphanages do not know what to do with them either and lack appropriate treatments.

Andrew Wakefield, former surgeon and researcher, best known for his theories concerning the connection between the MMR vaccine, autism, and inflammatory bowel disease, showed how most of autism myths are not true. Put simply, he showed with facts, statistics, and graphs how the environment can cause autism. Vaccines and toxics, such as pesticides, can develop autism in babies.

Polly Tommey, founder of the Autism Trust, shared the lives of autistics through several tragic autism cases, including her own son. Diagnoses in Europe are poor as I mentioned earlier. It takes about to two to nine years to receive a diagnosis from the National Autistic Society in the U.K. There government does not provide any health support or education. When the police arrest autistic people, they do not know how to handle them or where to put them.

The European Union must do something to protect the rights of autistic citizens and support their families. Victims have had enough bullying, stress, financial stress, divorces, lack of support, desperation, and suicides, to only mention a few effects of autism. About 5% of the European population has autism. That is all of the population of Belgium and the Netherlands! Changes to medical diagnoses have to be made. New policies regarding the environment need to be created. Civil rights for autistic citizens must be imposed. Teachers, public servants, and the people in general have to be trained and educated to help these people. The European Union needs to start focusing on its people and not on increasing ridiculous champagne budgets and useless luxury expenses.

Maurico Parra