Scottish Borders MP Michael Moore has offered his backing to a campaign aiming to prevent discrimination from employers against potential job candidates who have autism.
The National Autistic Society is calling for an end to the trend of such people being “written off” by both employers and the benefits system.
Research by the group has revealed that just 15 per cent of people living with autism in the UK have secured full-time paid employment, yet the majority of such individuals are keen to work.
Scottish Liberal Democrats MP Mr Moore said: “People with autism have a great deal to offer and we know that many want to work but are unable to get the help and support they need to fulfil their potential.”
He added that it is “crucial” that people with conditions such as autism receive support in seeking employment.
Meanwhile, the minister for disabled people Jonathan Shaw recently revealed that many Britons with learning difficulties who are living on benefits want “real jobs”.
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Interesting – but let’s look at the case of Gary McKinnon who hacked into the US defence systems etc. Here we have a man of 43, went through school no problems, employed as an IT manager, own flat, girlfriend, whose family considered him to be a ‘computer nerd. When he gets found out and extradition to the USA looms he is suddenly diagnosed with ‘aspergers’ (related to autism) and cites that as a disability. We then have the clarion call of people wanting to stop ‘this young disabled man’ being sent to the US for trial.
This devalues the ‘disability’ and quite unsurprisingly, a lot of employeers look with a jaundiced eye at many of these claims.
Carol says ‘..he is suddenly diagnosed with ‘aspergers’..’
I don’t think you appreciate what this entails. I am in my 50’s and have a diagnosis of Aspergers but only found this out when my son was diagnosed with it as well. It is a disability but it does not prevent anyone from functioning in ‘normal’ society, indeed, most Aspergics seem very ‘normal’ as it is a mild form of autism.
There are many different aspects of the diagnosis that identify an Aspergic, a single mindedness for a subject to the point of obsession, lack of empathy or understanding of social situations, awkwardness in social situations, inappropriate comments, short temper, just some I have observed.
The reason why Gary McKinnon was not diagnosed previously is because we are only just learning how to carry out such a diagnosis. Professer Baren-Cohen (Sacha B-C’s brother) at Cambridge is one of the leading researchers into this condition.
I can understand your distaste at the people saying he should not go as he is disabled, I agree, but I feel he should not go as he has provided an explanation as to why he hacked into the Defense database. Surely the US government should look at their end and ask questions on HOW he managed to do it in the first place.