Autism is a subject close to my heart as I have a close relative with Asperger’s Syndrome. Ashleigh Wallace had an article in the Belfast Telegraph, Corrie star Keith’s autism education plea highlighting the need for better educational facilities for autistic children in Northern Ireland.Keith is Patron of SPEAC, Special Provision for Education for Autistic Children – a local charity , and was helping with fund-raising. Publicity and support for SPEAC is always welcome, but it’s worth pointing out the article was a little misleading.
“I realised there was a massive problem in Northern Ireland, yet there was no ABA facility here and there was no-one educating these parents about ABA.
Since 2001 Dr Mickey Keenan of the University of Ulster and the charity PEAT have been associated with parent training at Kilrea’s pre-school group based at STARS at Kilrea Health Centre*. PEAT have been offering training to parents across Northern Ireland for some seven years and I can recommend this book Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists, edited by Edited by Mickey Keenan, Ken P. Kerr and Karola Dillenburger.
STARS – 028 295 42345, project leader Lesley Dickson.