A ground-breaking initiative to transform the lives of adults with autism is being launched in Enniskillen today.
Backed by the Big Lottery Fund, the campaign which is based on the ground-breaking I Exist report, will work with people who feel largely forgotten by society, according to the National Autistic Society (NAS) in Northern Ireland.
Noel Bannon's family from Enniskillen is one such example of people living with these issues daily. Noel (21) is the son of Geraldine and Frank. He has autism but has had to live in England for the last ten years because nowhere in Northern Ireland could meet his special needs.
Noel's parents would love to bring him home, but are faced with virtually insurmountable obstacles, as Mrs Bannon explained:
"Noel began Daldorch School in East Ayrshire, Scotland, which is run by the National Autistic Society, in 2000 after his placement in Northern Ireland broke down. He has remained there since."
"A huge amount of very hard work by staff has enabled Noel to develop, manage his anxieties, reduce his challenging behaviours and develop his sense of humour.
"All this means Noel's now actually able to contribute actively to his environment and his community over there.
"We would just love Noel to come home, but we can't find a suitable placement here that meets his requirements. He needs an environment where people understand him and can provide autism-specific care. There just isn't anywhere like that in Northern Ireland."
The plight of the Bannon family isn't that surprising given the findings of the I Exist report, the only survey of its kind ever conducted in Northern Ireland. It reveals the huge gap between the level of need and the support available.
It found that 70% of adults surveyed did not have enough support to meet their need, and that 96% of adults feel that with more support they would be less isolated. A further 34% had experienced severe mental health difficulties.
This was confirmed by Caroline Bogue who is the NAS family support worker in the South West of the province. Her post was made possible through Big Lottery Fund finance.
"It is essential that we raise awareness of the issue of adults with autism in Northern Ireland. Recent research we conducted here found that adults with autism in Northern Ireland feel isolated and ignored and often can't access the services they so desperately need. Yet, the right help at the right time can make a huge difference."
She added: "It also revealed that about half of the people who had actually heard of autism, which affects one in 100 people, thought it was a condition affecting mainly children."
Ms Bogue reported that every day she comes into contact with ageing parents of children with autism who are now solely responsible for providing care for their sons and daughters who have become adults.
"Indeed, we've found that 64% of adults with autism still live at home. Parents constantly worry about what will happen to their son or daughter when they are no longer there to provide their care, yet many adults with autism are ignored by local services.
"Often, local health trusts aren't even aware of how many adults with autism there are in their local area, making it extremely difficult to plan and deliver services to meet their needs."
Regina Cox, NAS Northern Ireland co-ordinator, said I Exist was the message from adults with autism who wanted to be recognised and deserved to have their needs understood and fulfilled.
"This campaign aims to address the problems they face and the barriers which prevent them from getting the right support. We are calling on the Northern Ireland Assembly to think, act, and transform lives," she said.
Today's I Exist campaign launch in Enniskillen aims to improve the lives of adults with autism in Northern Ireland.
The guest speaker will be Joe Ellis, Chairman of NAKMAS (the National Association of Karate and Martial Art Schools) who has Asperger syndrome.
