Serious questions must be asked of
organisations supposedly created to support people with autism and or Asperger’s
Syndrome. Interestingly, few very of
such organisations have at board level, or committee management level anyone
who actually has autism or Asperger’s – such entities in local, nation,
not-for-profit, NGOs and profit making businesses are usually populated by
parents who joined up because they wanted to feel that they were contributing
to their child and the general community.; or promote a small business they had
created based on their child been on the autism spectrum.
It is astounding to find people on boards and
committees who run businesses pushing nutritional supplements and home-spun philosophy
on what therapy you should buy from them to treat your child or young adult. These people rarely; if at all, have
high-live university qualifications which provide the fundaments of ethics,
duty of care, business management, governance and more. Raising a family and running a small
home-based business is not sufficient skill, experience or specialist
high-level education to contribute at a level that is necessary to develop an
organisation or company and to address and understand the needs of the
client-base as opposed to their child, teen or young adult.
In this day and age of litigation and
disappearing Government funding been a parent positioning yourself on a board
or committee; regardless of how well-meaning, is not a suitable qualification
to help develop and lead and organisation. Often, at this level of
understanding the focus is, naturally, on what their child or youth needs and
wants-even if the parent realises it or not.
Yet Governments continue to hand out money to
organisations with a board or committee that sounds like there will be a few
knitting bags under the board room table.
Helping people with autism or Asperger’s requires skill, dedication-and
education along with specialist knowledge and reflection and anunderstanding onf business management and
service that only comes with high-level education.
If you have authority or influence in
selecting people for board or committee positions try to ensure that you have
at least one or two people who have autism or Aspeger’s included. Such people; suitably qualified and
experienced, are out there in vast numbers willing to share their experience
and assist their community. All you need to do is to ask.
