The UK's National Autsitic Society Friend or Foe ?

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We need to consider what is more important for many societies, is it more important for them to reach a goal, obtain an improvement in an area or to continue to exist (or even grow larger).

Some time ago it was brought to my attention that the UK's national autstic society were sending out e-mails in an attempt to raise money which look at first glance to be personal emails. Some of these personal emails have topics which make them look like they are mails which are inviting a person to a social event (like coffee drinking).

One person with autism I know pointed out to me that many of us live in a socially isolated state, such a mail could well get a person's hope up before when they open it their hopes are then dashed onto the rocks of despair.

The email sent to me was from "Lucy, mother of Max", I would be interested to know how many other wrong planet people have been sent similar emails from the UK's NAS.

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Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

Hmm, I've been in touch with the National Autistic Society but I've never received an e-mail like that from them, in fact I don't think they've ever e-mailed me outside of contact I solicited myself from them.

A year or two ago I called their help line to discuss seeking a diagnosis and how to go about it, and the person I spoke to was extremely kind, helpful, unpushy and in fact just like talking to a counselor or therapist. She was supportive and calm and pretty great, as it was an emotional call for me. She gave me information and told me of a list that she asked to e-mail to me, and I received that e-mail, and no other.

I had a positive experience of the NAS but that's just me, one person, I can't speak for what they've seemed like in anyone else's experience of them.

I got the same email as you Woodpecker. I must confess, I just saw it as a fundraising attempt and didn't consider the possibility of it being taken literally. Good point.

NAS is the largest autism organisation in the UK and I too looked to them for support in the past. They weren't especially useful, but to be fair they are more of a campaigning organisation than a practical support agency which I was looking for at the time.

I come from a social model of disability approach and I'm not convinced that they are as 'radical' as I would like. Then again, that is my take on things and working from within a system sometimes takes an approach that I find uncomfortable.

The NAS is like most national organisations, mostly involved with higher-level campaigning and raising awareness of autism, which is of course vital. In my dealings with them I have found their staff to be somewhat aloof and lacking in empathy, and not particularly good communicators. They also tend to be quite young - keen and energetic but lacking experience in a number of areas.

Some of the best work tends to be done by the local autism organisations. Oxfordshire is particularly good in this respect, much of the early, groundbreaking research into autism and work with children was done there.