ASPERGER SYNDROME ACTION by PARENTS   

                                              (ASAP)

Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb.  Yeah, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.

                                                                                        Isaiah 49:15

Sally Priechenfried and Cris Bolduc first met in 1998 and soon discovered that they each had an Asperger Syndrome adult son.

Sally writes:

On January 1999, together with other parents who were in similar situations to our own, we delivered a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair at Number 10 Downing Street calling on the Government to urgently address the needs of our children.

On the same day I was interviewed by ITN to explain the reasons for writing to the Prime Minister and the setting up of our group ASPERGER SYNDROME ACTION by PARENTS (ASAP).  The timing of both these events was to coincide with the airing of a Granada TV documentary - AUTISM: THE LOST GENERATION in which I appeared with my son.

Whilst there is certainly more awareness of the condition and many children are now being diagnosed with AS the situation for adults has not greatly improved.  Some people have not moved forward at all and most are still living in inappropriate placements.

Cris will write of her own experiences.

The aim of ASPERGER SYNDROME ACTION by PARENTS is to enlighten parliamentarians and professionals to the dangers of misdiagnosis.  This leads to the prescribing of inappropriate and harmful medication and inappropriate residential care.  We are still calling for the urgent need for AS specialist services to be set up for adults with Asperger Syndrome.

Cris' and my son, like so many others, have endured much suffering through being misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia, being prescribed mind-altering drugs for a condition which they did not have causing extreme adverse reactions which led them to being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and being locked up in wholly unsuitable hospitals with fellow patients whose conditions and needs were entirely different to Asperger Syndrome.  They have been square pegs in round holes for years.

Cris and I have worked steadfastly together on our agenda since 1998, slowly getting ourselves known at Westminster and achieving some publicity through the media (please see links below).  We target politicians and professionals both on a local and national level.

We receive many calls (often desperate cries for help) from other parents and offer, to the best of our ability, not just a shoulder but understanding, advice and suggestions.  There are far too many people in the UK who find it difficult to obtain a diagnosis, are given a misdiagnosis, and are given little or no support. They feel isolated.

Whilst, thankfully, our own sons have been medication-free for some years, other families are still battling with a misdiagnosis and have to watch their children suffering dreadfully from the cocktails of drugs being prescribed.

Cris and I attended the first reading of Lee Scott's AUTISM BILL in February (the second reading is due on May 9).  We support Lee and are working with him in the quest for all people with an ASD to have their needs met.

We continue our fight for more expertise, training and services for this much neglected group in the UK.

We shall be adding links and other information.

EMAIL: aspergeraction@aol.com