Below follows SNAG's reply to Government:

The Special Needs Action Group would like to remind the Government that it has not chosen to celebrate International Autism Day, or indeed International Acceptance Week in a negative way. Instead, it has carried out a positive weeklong campaign in which it has celebrated difference, neurodiversity, different abilities, and the different strengths of Autistic People. This has featured collaborations with different NGO’s, Talks, Donations to several HMGOG Schools and culminated in a family event supported by wonderful organisations and attended by brilliant people and supporters.

It also takes this opportunity to remind the Government that it was made fully aware of the Campaign and asked to collaborate if they wished to do so via their Equality Office. This is something we continuously do when we hold all our events and campaigns, where we inform either the relevant Ministers or Departments. It is up to their discretion whether they want to support us as an NGO, and the public can judge as to the support we in turn receive from Government Ministers for themselves.

What the Special Needs Action has chosen to do after Autism Acceptance Week, is to advocate for all those who continue to express their very valid and real concerns. These not only include those within the neurodiverse community and their families, but the very same professionals that we continue to speak to and support in any way that we can.

We of course understand that the Government does not seem to be particularly accepting of public criticism from those NGOs that challenge them on matters that are so acutely affecting the lives of those who live this daily. Despite this, this Government or any Government of the day can rest assured that avoiding the questions clearly set out to them by attempting to taint us in a negative light every time they are challenged will in no way deter us.

Perhaps the Governments time would be better spent moving beyond laying the foundations and finally implementing the sections of the Disability Act 2017 that have still not been implemented, finalising the Disability/SEN Strategy that persons with disabilities and their families went out in demonstration for now several years ago, and finalising the much-needed pathways described in our previous press statement. It might also be better spent in addressing the pressing issue of shortage of therapy provision – for which they never have a reply for and is affecting the lives of so many.

We would also like to state that we urged the Government to address what still needed addressing setting very clear examples in our last press release, we did not ask them for a recap of what they have already done – perhaps if more time was taken to listen to all those who live through the shortcomings of the systems in place, their work would be finalised sooner.

Finally, we too would like to congratulate all other NGOs, long standing, more recently formed ones, those that advocate and those that don’t, for you all do extremely valuable work that should always be congratulated and supported – and you should all be viewed in equal recognition and appreciation as true Nuggets of Gold!