To not recognise Kemi Badenoch's views on ASD?

[Locutus2000]

The likely next leader of His Majesty's opposition

The Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has been criticised for a campaign pamphlet that said autistic people received “better treatment” and “economic privileges and protections”.

A pamphlet published by Badenoch’s campaign team at the Conservative party conference argued that conditions such as anxiety, as well as an autism diagnosis, had gone from something “people should work on themselves as individuals” to “something that society, schools, and employers have to adapt around”

I'd love to know what improved treatment and economic privileges I should be getting - maybe I forgot to apply.

What do Kemi supporters find attractive?

I am no fan of the NAS but their response was good.

I partly agree with people who are saying go on Tories, make these deeply unattractive bigots your leaders, it will bring you down further and keep you unelectable for longer. But the problem is that airing views like Badenoch's on autism and mental illness goes towards creating an atmosphere in which it is OK to be both totally ignorant and to demonise the vulnerable, while being perceived as respectable and worthy.

Unfortunately (and worryingly) you only need to read some threads on here to realise it's not just rich, old, white men who think autism and other conditions are basically made up or exaggerated so that people can get "free money" and despite hundreds of level, informed replies trying to educate them, they just keep going. I actually wouldn't be surprised if many many mn posters agreed wholeheartedly with this vile excuse for a human. A very sad state of affairs.

When she was bashing other vulnerable people it didn’t bother you? ‘I didn’t think the leopard would it MY face!’ Said the woman who supported the Leopards eating people’s faces party.

Also, as I said on the other thread

Anxiety = an emotion common to all humans
Anxiety disorder = a mental illness
Autism = a neurodevelopmental condition

Not conflatable, Kemi. Unless you are of the mindset that "oh, but they are all the same aren't they" about groups of people whose experience of life you refuse to empathise with, which as a black person you of all people should find reprehensible.

These are the people who voted Truss in. They seem for some weird reason to think it's a good idea to vote in utter incompetents. I think it must be simply that sheer bigotry crowds out all common sense in their heads.

She has no idea. The policy for years has been to make schools that adequately meet the needs of most children and then to pay expensive placements for those can not cope with this system. Maybe at one time it made economic sense (well possibly). The problem now is that it seems more and more children are not coping with schools as they are currently run hence budgets are decimated.

ds1 was one who got the "privilege" of a taxi to school - he also got the "privilege" of a 50 mile commute to school every day because this was the closest school that could meet his needs. Like Ms Badenoch I would have preferred him to walk to school like his former classmates but unless she is proposing to create more specialist schools or differently run mainstream schools this is not going to happen for kids like my ds.

She said what now?
I would disagree with her. Strongly. I'd laugh if I had the fucking energy.

I think what she is proposing is removal of transport to SN schools.

I have no idea what equipment she is complaining that children have - wobble cushions?

The idea that autistic children are at an economic advantage is clearly nonsense. Nobody is 'advantaged' by having long commutes to specialist schools or adaptations to enable them to access the school curriculum.

Overall the impact of removing that support structure will be to reduce access to appropriate schooling and curriculum and reduce educational outcomes which will restrict future employment.

It does not make long term financial sense.

I think it is important to remember that she also complained about schools employing 'superfluous' staff so I guess she'd want to reduce support staff also, leaving a teacher to manage the full range of needs any one class might have without a TA.

Fair point @Whenwillitgetwarm - I wasn’t paying much attention (to any candidate) until now. It’s also fair to say I wouldn’t bother to join the party in its current parlous state, but I did want to vote for a woman (especially a WOC) to lead the party.

@TooBigForMyBoots

Is being Tory a condition?🤔

I've often wondered this, because there is usually a good deal of overlap with certain Cluster B disorders.

@OneInEight exactly. After years of unlawful reduced timetables and exclusion, I got DS into a specialist school which costs the LA many tens of thousands of pounds pa. He will be there for another 10 academic years, in all likelihood. If they’d thrown half of that funding at keeping him in mainstream with reasonable adjustments and adaptations, and enough staff, he’d likely still be there. It’s such a false economy and is unsustainable.

Also agree with PP that sadly Kemi’s views are reflected on here and amongst parents in real life.

I recognise what she says in the views of people I talk too (most of whom have disabled children).

I think as nd diagnosis grows and more people ask for their needs to be met the resentment towards them grows especially when people can't see the disability and there is a large movement of people advocating autism as an identity/ superpower etc/ non disability.

Councils can't afford the growing cost of sen most of which is now nd and as these children aren't having their needs met other children are having their education disrupted. Meanwhile people who don't understand see and hear 'autism is a superpower'.

People with other disabilities are having to share the accomodations with an ever increasing group eg merlin ride access, short breaks, special schools and they don't like it either. People with what was classical autism or severe autism not getting their needs addressed because they don't have the right kind of autism.

There just isn't enough money/ services and this group of people are an easy target especially when part of group deal out sayings like autism is a difference not a disability. It can't be both a severe disability with a huge cost and also superpower to be harnessed.

Just to be clear I do think every child should have their needs met and every adult, I'm just putting the other view out there as I can see where this is coming from and I think many people have views like this, they're are not my views. I am quite worried that the actually autistic, autism self diagnosis and nd movement will overshadow autism being viewed as a disability.

The pamphlet specifically attacks school transport (which you only get if your school is a distance away or you are unable to navigate alone) and equipment.

Neither of these things are handed out willy nilly and it is facetious to suggest otherwise.

And it only relates to children... Does she realise that autistic adults exist and we certainly don't benefit economically?

Please don’t ever let this woman be PM.

Actually the pamphlet does spend a lot of time complaining about employment protections going too far. Largely woolly words but aimed at Conservatives that think that reasonable adjustments for those with autism or mental health issues are a burden.

Personally I'd like my child to have the opportunity to work in the future - for their own mental health and to be a part of wider society. It would also reduce their dependence on the state.

So I dont feel that the pamphlet is in anyway financially literate.
Short term savings in exchange for longer term costs - which they will then choose to penalise the disabled for.

What a dreadful post. It’s not views I’ve seen anywhere other than MN. Only 3% of the population have autism it’s hardly huge and autism is a protected disability so those with it should be accessing reasonable adjustments the same as everybody else with a disability.

I'm autistic.
My son is Autistic.
If I get the chance, I will be voting for Kemi to be prime minister.

I think the general point, that we allow far too many people to say they are sick and need special treatment is absolutely true. More people have to just suck it up because the rest of us who are working can't keep carrying them all.

@GherkinJar she also complains about autistic employees having protections, getting reasonable adjustments etc. with a telling emphasis on how you don't have to disclose anything until after you've been hired. So I think her views on businesses being allowed to not hire someone because they're autistic are clear.

But it's ok - her spokesman has said it "would be wrong to infer any prejudice".

"I think the general point, that we allow far too many people to say they are sick and need special treatment is absolutely true."

Nobody gets school transport or equipment because they just say they are sick.
Any support given to autistic children requires evidence and generally a number of professionals.

God I hope she doesn't get in. The combination of a new and completely inexperienced government and a leader of the opposition who does nothing but go down rabbit holes and talk bollocks is really not what this country needs. Although Jenrick is also horrific.

I can't think of anything she says that I agree with. She constantly makes ill informed and sweeping statements with no evidence or great thought. Both candidates for the conservative party's are terrible abs and trying to prove themselves the most right wing.
I doubt that either of them will still be leader of their party by the time we have another general election

I agree.

I think Jenrick will win this leadership contest, but that Cleverly will be the leader for the next election.

Have you tried to get extra help for your son? Surely you realise that it really is not a case of just being able to say "My child is sick, I want special treatment for him?" It's incredibly hard to get an EHCP, you really do not get one without strong professional evidence. Likewise no-one is diagnosed with autism without strong evidence. If we don't make basic accommodations for autism, we risk losing a lot of valuable people from the working population.

If she objects to the provision of school transport, how does she suggest parents of disabled children get them to school when there are not enough special schools so their school is miles away? Has she not noticed that many disabled children tend to go to a different school from their siblings?