Minister Reilly debunks ill-informed myths about autism – Harris

Posted February 14th, 2012 in Disability, Special Needs

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow, Simon Harris, has today (Tuesday) praised the Minister for Health for debunking the myth about autism, following a recent ill-informed article in the national media where a healthcare professional was purporting that autism could be brought about due to the behaviour of parents and those caring for children.

“These comments from the Minister must now be followed by a more informed and compassionate view of autism right throughout all Government departments and State agencies to address how they deal with the needs of people with autism. Minister Reilly’s comments have been welcomed by parents of autistic children, and they show that the Government clearly does not agree with the theory which claims that a parent’s behaviour is to blame for a child having autism.

“Supporting parents and families with autism is something that is very close to my heart and I am pleased that Minister Reilly spoke out about this ludicrous theory which is extremely offensive to parents and children with autism.

“We need to be offering all the support that we can to families of children with autism to remove the stigma surrounding this condition. The main reason I entered politics was after I launched the Triple A Alliance, a foundation which raises awareness and offers support for families who suffer from autism. Through the foundation, I saw first-hand how difficult families find coping with autism and I decided to enter politics with a view to raising awareness and generating support for parents with autistic children.

“Many challenges remain for Government and society in terms of meeting the needs of autistic children, be they in the area of education, health, social welfare, employment opportunities etc. and I look forward to continuing to push these areas within Government.”