AUTISM SUNDAY falls on Sunday 10th February 2008.

Autism Sunday, and the International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome falls on 10 February, when churches of all denominations will be remembering 60 million people with autism around the world, and more than 500,000 people with autism in the UK.

Ivan Corea, head of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK, who, together with his wife Charika initiated Autism Sunday in 2002, has urged churches to speak out on the suffering that parents, carers and people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome are going through as a result of not having the public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care they desperately need.

The campaign was launched in 2000 by the Corea Family, who have struggled to get support for their son Charin who will be 12 years old this year and has ASD.

It is now a huge movement - they initiated 2002 as Autism Awareness Year, supported by 800 UK organisations, and that year the first ever service for autism was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London - to mark the inauguration of Autism Sunday in the UK.

Ivan Corea said: "I believe faith communities have a huge role to play in reaching out to the socially excluded, the vulnerable and the downtrodden. I would urge churches to go out to the community and reach out to parents, carers and all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

"Faith communities could provide befriending services, help families with autism who are struggling to cope with life and 'speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.' We urge Church leaders of all denominations to back our call for a national strategy on autism and a 10-year plan for autism and Asperger's Syndrome,' he said.

Autism campaigners are calling on church leaders to take these matters up with the Prime Minister.

According to new research commissioned by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, the annual cost of autism to the UK is just under £28 billion.

For further information on Autism Sunday please see the website:
http://autismsunday.tripod.com

For the Autism Action film on youtube please see:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPyP-slDT6M

Pictured above: Ivan Corea of the Autism Awareness Campaign with Archbishop John Sentamu, Baroness Pola Uddin and Lady Sentamu in the House of Lords

NEWS ARTICLE FROM INSPIRE MAGAZINE UK
http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/news.aspx?action=view&id=2086

An appeal went out to church leaders, Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance to 'speak out for those who cannot speak out for themselves' by raising the serious educational and health issues connected with autism and Asperger's Syndrome in the United Kingdom.

This appeal to church leaders in the UK went out on Autism Sunday - the International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome on 11th February 2007.

Campaigners are concerned about the lack of public services in education, health, specialist speech therapy and respite care for the 535,000 people with autism in the UK; the failure of the secondary school system in dealing with educational strategies; bullying; campaigners have called on the Prime Minister Tony Blair to launch a 10 year program of building specialist autism schools for all and autism unnits/sensory rooms in secondary schools.

Last year Sir Al Aynsely-Green, the Children's Commissioner in the UK said:

'It's appalling and it's shameful for our country, the fifth richest economy in the world, to have so many (autistic) children that are not being looked after and given the resources they need to develop to their full potential.'

A recent UNICEF Report placed the United Kingdom at the bottom of a league table in terms of children's well being. Autistic children are at the 'bottom of the bottom of the pile' according to campaigners.

The first ever AUTISM SUNDAY was held in the second week in February in 2002 Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom.

Churches in the UK prayed for all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. A historic Service for Autism was held at St.Paul's Cathedral in London.

This was the first ever service for autism held at the Cathedral - many families and children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome from all over the UK attended this service - people from all walks of life including peers from the House of Lords, authors, broadcasters and dignitaries joined children, young people and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Baroness Blatch, former Education Minister attended the service.

The event was highlighted on press, radio and television in the United Kingdom.

There are 60 million people with autism around the world. Autism Sunday is now held in churches in other parts of the world to prayer for parents, carers and all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Vernon Corea's Prayers for Autism

Vernon Corea (1927 - 2002) was a pioneering broadcaster with Radio Ceylon/SLBC and the BBC. He was the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Advisor in the late 1970s-1980s. His grandson was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in the United Kingdom. Vernon Corea fully supported the Autism Awareness Campaign.

He was present at the first ever service for autism at St.Paul's Cathedral in London in 2002 Autism Awareness Year. He was also a Lay Reader at Emmanuel Church in Wimbledon, South West London and at Christ Church Gipsy Hill in South East London. Vernon Corea was a frequent guest on 'Thought For the Day' on BBC Radio 2.

He wrote these prayers remembering people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome all over the world.

Autism is on the rise in the United Kingdom and across the world, it is now a serious health and education issue facing our nation.

A Prayer for the Autistic Community

Gracious Father,
Thank you for giving us your Son
To teach us and forgive us.
He suffered and died for us,
And while he was on this earth
He healed the sick
And touched the lives
Of everyone.

We now commit the lives
Of all autistic people in our nation
Into Your loving care.
We ask you to lay Your hands on them
And give them Your peace.
Give them the power of the Holy Spirit
To make them whole.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

From a Child -

Jesus,
Thank you
That you are there for me
There are many things I'd like to do better-
Like speaking and writing.
I ask you to help me.
You have already helped me in many ways.
Sometimes I see the world in pictures -
I like to draw, to watch TV.
I like to do many more things,
Which I can't do.
So please lay your hands on me
And bless me.
Be with me Lord Jesus
At home and in school.

Thank you for my parents, my family,
My teachers and support workers
And all those who are helping me.
Thank you Jesus, Amen.

Autism is a neuro developmental disorder, it is a lifelong disability, people with autism have a triad of impairements - social interaction, social communication and imagination.

There are those who have seen the classic film, the 'Rain Man' with Dustin Hoffman and Tome Cruise. The film focuses on the character played so brilliantly by Dustin Hofman - an 'Autistic Savant' who is gifted in mathematics. But this is only one aspect of autism.

Autism is a very large spectrum. Not everyone is blessed with the gift of Mathematics, Art or Creativity. There are those who are mildly autistic, others are very severe. Some autistic people who are high functioning autists have the gift of speech others don't talk at all. There are autistic children who have communication disorders - they need help and support - these children need specialist speech therapy.

Autism is a neuro developmental disorder, it is a lifelong disability, people with autism have a triad of impairements - social interaction, social communication and imagination.

Common Characteristics of Autism

Autistic children and adults may or may not have speech, quite often the speech is delayed, they make non-speech sounds (e.g. mmmmmm) echolalia - mimicing words without understanding what the word means - they may mimic words from the TV for example.)

Lack of eye contact, they appear to be unaware of people around them, no real interaction with peers - in the classroom or at home, sometimes they treat people as objects, parallel play rather than playing with children, sometimes lack of imaginative play.

They don't like being cuddled or being picked up, hand movements, flapping of hands especially when they are over stimulated or particularly excited about something, spinning, balancing, sometimes they might tiptoe when walking, repetitive behaviour - they might re-wind a video and watch it several times - over and over again, lining up things like toys, self-injury - some children bang their head on the wall, they do not like a change of routine.

Autistic children and adults don't like being touched, they might not like certain textures or sounds, they might cover their ears at very loud noises, they tend to blank out certain things, they appear to be uncomfortable at very extreme temperatures, they are either very passive or very active sometimes even hyperactive.

Some autistic children and adults love drawing, some can be musical, like numbers - mathematics, good memory, skilled at using computers, computer games, using complex video/audio equipment around the house or in the office or in school.

Autistic children and adults may get up several times in the night - parents suffer from sleep deprivation. Serotonin levels may be high, some children suffer epilepsy, others may have dyslexia, dyspraxia. Many children suffer from bowel problems - there seems to be a connection between a leaky gut and autism. Some may suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

What are the Causes of Autism?

Scientists are still divided as to the causes of autism. Parents, Carers and Autists have not been given a definite answer whether autism has been caused by the MMR vaccination, whether there is a genetic disposition, whether it is caused by foetal distress at birth or whether environmental factors play a role where Autism is concerned. We need answers. We also need public services in health, education, respite care and specialist speech therapy for all people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Churches of all denominations are praying for all people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome on Autism Sunday - 11th February 2007.

There are 60 million people with autism around the world.

PRAYER POINTS

*Pray for all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

*Pray for greater awareness of the condition.

*Pray for better public services in health, education, specialist speech therapy and respite care.

*Pray for tolerance and understanding towards people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

*Pray for access to training and jobs for people with autism and Asperger's syndrome.

*Pray for the sick, the elderly the shut-in.

*Pray for parents and carers of children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

*Pray for national governments that they will provide public services and listen to the voices of disability communities.

*Pray for teachers in mainstream schools and special schools that they will think of real educational strategies to help children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

*Pray that governments will build, staff and resource specialist autism school or autism units with sensory rooms to support children who need specialised, structured help.

*Pray for medical professionals as they reach out to all people with autism and Asperger's syndrome.

*Pray for the improvement of communication and social skills for children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.