Autism & Wandering – A video for first responders and caregivers

For further information, visit awaare.org and autismsafety.org. NAA is here to provide support and resources to families to help prevent wandering-related tragedies in the autism community. Visit our website at nationalautism.org.

A POTENTIALLY “game changing” drug that tackles the root causes of autism could be available in the UK within five years, experts say. Initial trial results for Balovaptan has so impressed US regulators, it has been given “accelerated status”, paving the way for faster approval.

The treatment developed by drug giant Roche acts on a brain receptor for the hormone vasopressin, which is believed to influence social bonding.

During the 12-week trial of 223 men, one group had the treatment and the other a placebo.

 

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“Brookfield parents convicted on three counts of causing mental harm to a child were sentenced in a Waukesha County courtroom on Thursday afternoon, March 1. Patrick Keller, 50, and Alicyn Keller, 44, were accused of locking their child, 13, who has autism, in an unfinished basement with no toilet or sink.”

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This made me so angry! What about you?

It can be frightening for a person to lose his or her mental capacity to such an extent that they can no longer make their own decisions, but where this occurs, a trusted family member or friend can be formally appointed as a deputy for them by the Court of Protection. This deputy will overtake responsibility for the person’s welfare and financial affairs and will usually be someone the person knows well. Where a large estate is involved, though, it is recommended to appoint a highly qualified professional such as a lawyer to act as deputy.

Most deputyships will concern the property and financial affairs of the person who has lost mental capacity. This gives the deputy the authority to make decisions regarding the person’s home and expenses, provided that any decision taken is in the best interests of the subject of the deputyship. Anyone with a questionable financial history (e.g. bankruptcy, fraud) is most unlikely to be approved as a property and financial affairs deputy. Where a person suffers a severe diminishing of mental capacity, a personal welfare deputyship could be arranged. This type of deputyship is rare and, in such cases, the deputy will almost always be a friend or family member.

Anyone chosen to act as a deputy should be a trustworthy individual who will consistently act for the good of the person involved in the deputyship; they will never abuse their position to exploit the person lacking mental capacity. Deputies are required to withhold the confidentiality and privacy of the person and cannot delegate their duties to others unless instructed to do so by the Court of Protection in extreme cases.

The experts at I Will Solicitors (http://www.iwillsolicitors.com/) produced this infographic which picks out the most important points to know about deputyships and explains the topic in a user-friendly fashion. Find out more about deputyships below.

What are the Diagnostic Criteria for Autism?

Watch below the fascination video from ReThinkAutism