I think BIBIC's involvement in this has been mentioned on MN before. The NAS is also involved. Here is an interesting article, must be from a North-East newspaper as the person who sent it to me is from there?
By The Sunday Sun
A pair of young lads - one aged 12 who swore repeatedly in public, the other aged 15 who stared obsessively at a neighbour over his garden fence - have two things in common.
Firstly, a court decided to issue an anti-social behaviour order, Asbo, banning them from repeating what they had done under threat of further legal action.
Secondly, they both have autism spectrum disorders, an umbrella term for people who display a range of behavioural patterns similar to those exhibited by the two boys.
In other words, they can't help acting the way they do.
In principle, I back Asbos, but cases like these give me pause for thought.
The 12-year-old had Tourette syndrome, of which swearing is a classic symptom.
The second lad had Asperger's Syndrome, which causes obsessive or compulsive behaviour.
Paul Shattock, of the Autism Research Unit at Sunderland University, said:
"Those with autism or Asperger's do things that look bizarre to those who don't know about these conditions.
"They often find it hard to make eye contact with people but are constantly being asked to do so.
"They then over-compensate by staring too much and this makes people think they are being aggressive.
"Although the UK is probably the most tolerant society in the world when it comes to things like this, people still need to learn to be even more
tolerant. These kids and adults simply cannot help themselves."
The British Institute for Brain Injured Children, BIBIC, has discovered other instances where children with psychological problems have had
Asbos imposed on them.
Pamela Knight, BIBIC director for development, said: "We know of a child with Asperger's syndrome who had watched Art Attack on television and took his mum's salt cellar and wrote his name in salt on the ground outside.
"Someone called the police saying he was committing vandalism.
"But a child with autism given an Asbo wouldn't understand what is expected of them. It isn't that they are being naughty, or bad, they just don't understand these issues or concepts."
So, how are our police forces approaching the potential problem? PC Mick Hayton of Durham Police's anti-social behaviour unit, said there was little likelihood of an autistic person receiving an Asbo.
He said: "When we are going for an Asbo, it starts with an anti-social behaviour unit panel in the local authority area.
"That is all multi-agency and includes social services, education welfare and housing associations.
"All the agencies are told they can attend or send in a report that would flag up such conditions.
"Once it is flagged up, then we wouldn't seek to use an Asbo because it wouldn't be appropriate. Using an Asbo on someone with autism or
Asperger's would just be setting them up to fail and would defeat the object.
"Instead, we would involve the primary healthcare trust to see what they could do to help the individual."
I hope the safeguards that are in place work, and it is a situation I will be keeping an eye on.