Petition Autism Bavaria

Ilona Mennerich posts Petition Autism Bavaria

Trigger Warnings: politics, mention of pathologizing language, political discrimination

Petition on the Autism Strategy Bavaria

1. In the recommendations for action on the Bavarian autism strategy, the AWMF-S3 guideline for the therapy of autistic disorders from 2021 is laid down as the basis. Many autistics and autism associations oppose the content of this guideline and do not approve it. 

Bundesverband Autismus Deutschland e.V., statement on the AWMF-S3 guideline, March 2021: "The AWMF-S3 guideline for the therapy of autistic disorders is fundamentally not suitable as a comprehensive decision-making aid for the individual needs assessment in the overall plan procedure according to §§117ff. SGB ​​IX for the participation needs of people in the autism spectrum. Help planning in children and youth welfare law for mentally handicapped children, adolescents and adults of full age according to §§35, 41, 36 SGB VIII also includes the legal requirement of cooperative and individual help planning. "! 

The guideline is characterized by ignorance and fear of autism. This would be remedied by scientific cooperation, getting to know and educating the professional groups involved through autistics. 

In the countries where the resources for scientific research are traditionally much higher (UK, USA, Sweden, Netherlands, and Switzerland) there is enough research showing that purely behavioristic therapies for autism are useless and therefore too expensive. 

We do not want this guideline to be the basis for approval for therapies. 

We demand that a survey be carried out among autistics in Bavaria to research life satisfaction according to the guidelines of the WHO, and the results of this survey become the basis of the state's interventions. 

2. The assumptions on which the project is based on the prevalence of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) are out of date. More recent research assumes 1:54 instead of 1: 100 (CDC, 2021). Many people can hide their particularity through their intelligence, but this leads to mental illness. (With a ratio of 1:54 there are around 200,000 autistic people in Bavaria!) 

So there are many more people with autism than diagnosed. 

Deficiencies in training, but also persistent prejudices on the part of doctors, mean that depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, aggressiveness, addiction problems, delinquency, and even suicide attempts are far too seldom associated with ASs and are consequently treated incorrectly or not at all. 

Waiting lists for diagnoses are unbearably long, up to two years. 

Much of the difficulties experienced by autistics result from social intolerance and consequent social difficulties. Autism is not a "mental handicap" (GdB), but a neurologically conditioned constitution, ie a physical handicap, with the result of an increased, above all social need for help. 

We call for the establishment of a council of autistic professionals to monitor and support the qualification for diagnosis. 

We demand a statistical survey on school success, illnesses as a consequence of social stigmatization, unemployment and suicidality among autistic people in Bavaria. 

3. In the recommendations of the “Project for the Development of an Autism Strategy Bavaria” led by Prof. Witzmann, the aim is to expand the existing autism competence centers. However, these have not helped us in the past. 

Not only, but also in Bavaria, the rate of autistics with secondary diseases due to social stigmatization is very high. There is insufficient inclusion in school and in the workplace. Dealing with authorities and doctors is very difficult and those affected often experience it as traumatizing. Autistic people are not adequately cared for at work or with housing problems. 50% of us are unemployed, because of early retirement because of bullying, or under-qualified. The existing autism competence centers have not done enough to address all of these serious problems. The reason for this is not a lack of financial resources, but a lack of competence and a lack of commitment to the inclusion of autistics. 

In addition, there is an amalgamation in the person of Prof. Witzmann, which has been common in Bavaria up to now, but which must be rejected. He is both the head of the recommendation group, i.e. the resource distributor, and the head of the Autism Competence Center Upper Bavaria, i.e. the recipient of funds. 

The situation of autism in Bavaria is catastrophic! Much more modern research is being carried out in other federal states and neighboring countries, and modern therapy recommendations such as occupational therapy and speech therapy are being set as priorities in cooperation with autistic advisors. 

In Bavaria, on the other hand, more and more care tasks, diagnosis centers and thus resources are assigned to the state-owned (district) KBO company, which does not have autistics at the management level and is not an inclusive employer. (This is standard outside of Bavaria, according to the UN Disability Rights Convention.)

That is why the autism competence centers should be deprived of responsibility and resources. Autistic peer counseling and self-help organizations should receive these funds and coordinate the offers of help. We demand knowledge-based advice and help that is independent of personal sympathy for our character.

Autistics are experts in autism. We want advice and review of help from autistics!

We demand an end to the contracts between youth welfare offices and service providers that lead to price wars instead of quality.

4. In principle, we demand respect for our knowledge- and objectivity-based actions. Friendship services beyond quality standards, loyalty outside of the law and common sense, filling positions or other professional decisions based on personal relationships are out of the question for us autistics. That is why we experience a lot of rejection from those who think differently. The way we work relies on compliance, so it's preferable when results matter. We believe that we can be integrated in many contexts.

We can be successful and accepted neighbors, colleagues and even friends if the social framework for us is expanded just a little. We claim our place in society, not just as objects of therapy or socially isolated nonconformists: inside. We demand the goal of a pluralistic society, which must be pursued with much more emphasis in Bavarian politics.