The incredible Autism Angels

The charity that changes lives

MORE THAN 18 months after the late MP Jo Cox first raised concerns in Parliament about the shocking length of time that it was taking for incidences of autism amongst young people to be diagnosed, it is, frankly, scandalous that this situation has deteriorated still further.

Even though children awaiting assessment should be seen within 12 weeks, many are having to wait much longer because local health services can’t cope with the increased volume of cases being recorded.

Yet it’s not just young people who need a swift diagnosis and specialist support to help their interaction with others. As the aforementioned Ms Cox said in one of her most passionate speeches: “It can be just as important for their parents, friends and loved ones, enabling them to better understand their child, friend or partner.”

However, while sufferers, and the wider public, are powerless when it comes to the politics of healthcare, they’re not when it comes to supporting Autism Angels – The Yorkshire Post’s chosen charity this Christmas. Run by the incredible Lynn Westerman Holt and Sarah Craven, they use horses to help children learn relationship skills.

For those involved, the results have been truly transformative – and provided hope for families whose predicament was a hopeless one before the charity intervened. Now it is appealing to Yorkshire business, attractions, theatres and shops to hold autism-accessible events for youngsters.

By opening their doors for just a couple of hours to enable autistic youngsters to enjoy activities and pastimes which others take for granted, they could be creating a world of opportunity for those children who have been denied a normal life through no fault of their own. Those concerned are not statistics – they’re the human stories behind the numbers and fully deserving of Yorkshire’s support this Christmas.