Over half of carers for people with autism and aspergers syndrome found getting support from social services difficult, and a further 40 per cent were dissatisfied with the support they received, according to a new report, writes Amy Taylor.
The research, published by the National Autistic Society, found that many carers could not find a social worker who understood their needs.
Steve Broach, co-author of the report, said: "An urgent priority is autism awareness training and job-specific training in autism for all professionals working with this group."
The report argued that at present people with autism and aspergers syndrome do not match the eligibility criteria used to measure support needs of people with disabilities and their families, and subsequently miss out on their rights and entitlements.
It goes on to find that this situation is made worse by over a third of carers not understanding the benefits system, and said that many of those who do receive support felt they had had to fight for it.
'Autism: Rights in Reality, How people with autism spectrum disorders and their families are still missing out on their rights' available here
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