In the news
News Archive
April 2008
No action over 'rape' of woman with learning difficulites
April 2008
Several men accused of raping a woman with serious learning difficulties will not be prosecuted because she is considered an "unreliable witness", a welfare agency disclosed yesterday.
Severin Carrell, Scottish Correspondent, The Guardian, Thursday April 17th 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/17/prisonsandprobation.scotland
Police charged Down's Syndrome boy with mental age of five
April 2008
When two police officers came to interview Jamie Band, a polite Down's Syndrome boy with a mental age of about five, he welcomed them with a big smile and a handshake. As the officers read him his rights and charged him with assault and racial abuse he agreed with everything they said, then thanked them for coming to see him.
Melaine Reid, The Times, Thursday April 17th 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3761056.ece
The diet that can treat epilepsy
April 2008
Giving drugs to children with epilepsy is often ineffective and can have terrible side effects. But there is an alternative - a high fat food plan that dramatically reduces seizures.
Sarah Spendiff, The Guardian, Tuesday April 15th 2008
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2273652,00.html
Legislation Update: The Mental Capacity Act
April 2008
The deprivation of liberty of people who lack capacity to decide where they should live has been an on going headache for the government for a number of years. The current proposals to protect such people, contained in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, are complex but are already causing controvesy even before they come into force next year.
Stephen Cragg, The Times, Tuesday April 15th 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/public_sector/article3738645.ece
MMR vaccine row doctor was 'inexperienced'
April 2008
The doctor at the centre of the MMR vaccine row had limited experience of the medical ethics surrounding paediatrics a disciplinary hearing heard yesterday.
Dr Andrew Wakefield had "no training and extremely limited experience" in requesting parental consent for samples taken from children, General Medical Council lawyers said.
Press Association, The Guardian, Saturday April 12th 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/12/health.children
Autism rise
April 2008
The rise in autism since the 1980's could be partly explained by changes in how children are diagnosed, according to a new study.
Some youngesters diagnosed with severe language disorders in the 1980's and 1990's would today be diagnosed as having autism, it suggested.
Press Association UK, Tuesday April 8th 2008
http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/information/news?EntryId17=30064
Tranquilisers putting children's lives at risk
April 2008
- Anti-psychotics may cause long-term harm, say critics.
- Youngsters under six are being given unliscensed drugs.
Sarah Boseley, Health Editor, The Guardian, Monday April 7th 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/07/mentalhealth.drugs
2.5m children on drugs in US
April 2008
Antipsychotic drugs for children have taken off in the US on the back of a willingness to diagnose those with behavioural problems as having manic depression. Even children barely out of babyhood are getting a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, the modern term for the condition.
Sarah Boseley, Health Editor, The Guardian, Monday April 7th 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/07/mentalhealth.health
3,000 children were given unlicensed anti-psychotic drugs despite safety fears
April 2008
The number of British children being given controversial anti-psychotic drugs has increased sharply, according to research. As many as 3,000 children were administered the unlicensed drugs between 1996 and 2005 despite concerns from experts that they could cause long-term harm and even death.
Ben Quinn, The Times, Monday April 7th 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article3694446.ece
Love and Asperger's Syndrome
April 2008
He's gentle, unworldly, highly attentive and charmingly old-fashioned. The catch? The very things that make Keith so attractive to Sarah are symptoms of Asperger's. Anna Moore meets the couples living with this surprisingly common condition.
The Telegraph, Sunday April 6th 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/04/06/st_aspergers.xml
NPower's sorry saga
April 2008
For Britain's beleaguered households being squeezed financially from all sides, rising energy bills have been one of the most unwelcome extra burdens.
It is all the more galling, therefore, when Npower employees have been using the most underhand methods to trick householders into switching. A 91 year old man and another with learning difficulities were identified as likely victims.
Sunday Times, Sunday April 6th 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article3689915.ece
Perfect plot
April 2008
Adults with autism reap the benefits of a move away from institutional care into a home of their own.
Debbie Andalo, The Guardian, Wednesday April 2nd 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/02/socialcare.housing
Teenage hacker admits $20 attacks
April 2008
A teenager hacker who caused millions of pounds of damage to computers worldwide has been convicted for his role in a global cyber-crime ring. Owen Thor Walker, 18, of New Zealand, designed an encrypted virus that was undetectable by anti-virus software. Walker, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, taught himself programming and used the online name 'Akill'.
Nick Squires, Telegraph, Wednesday April 2nd 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/02/whacker101.xml
Stephen Wiltshire, the human camera who drew London from memory
April 2008
Flying in a helicopter along the Thames, Stephen Wiltshire memorised the appearance and position of hundreds of London's buildings.
Stephen Adams, The Telegraph, Wednesday April 2nd 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/02/ncamera102.xml
Mark your Calendars...April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day
April 2008
http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org/site/c.egLMI20DKpF/b.3917065/
