Until we can migrate all the content, here are links to the old pages:

Proposes:


A support group made up of individual members, rather than groups or organisations, as a representative body for people with Asperger's syndrome/Disorder, High Functional Autism, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, Tourettes, Savants, other people with Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder ADD, ADHD, PDD/NOS and related disorders.

AIMS:

• To set up local, regional and Irish membership of people in and around the Autistic Spectrum over 16 years old;

• To provide education, information and awareness of what we really want and need to achieve our full potential

• To provide Peer to Peer and Self Advocacy to represent ourselves, and assist those similar to ourselves who are not so able to express themselves;

• To demand and require full and free consultation and representation on Asperger's and Autism Related bodies, organisations, associations and groups;

• To provide social, communication and recreational activities for our members;

• To develop and organise events, conferences, educational and information about our rights, opinions, and feelings;

• To create a Consultative and Rights-based approach to Aspies, Auties, and our cousins where we are valued, appreciated and are allowed to express ourselves freely without fear or threat or censure.

"Nothing about US without US"
This philosophy is the prime directive of ICAAN. No decision, proposal, submission or service should ever be put in on our behalf without us being considered or consulted.

Even when people start off with good ideas and the best of intentions that they feel will be to our benefit, it is essential that we be involved in all discussions and the decision making.

When others do things on our behalf, without involving, or consulting us, they usually waste valuable resources getting it all very wrong.

After all - we, who have the needs and the diagnosis, are the experts, not them.

The principle established by the Independent Living Movement "Nothing about US without US" is the central rallying theme of our movement. We all have individual goals and abilities, needs and impairments, and only those of us who live with these should be involved in the decision-making.

If any of us cannot advocate on our own behalf, we deserve the choice of one of our peers, who better understand our needs, limits and strengths to advocate for and promote us. We should not be reliant on the Charity or "good intentions" (the road to hell is proverbially paved with them) of others.

Peer to peer advocacy is all about rights, choice and the freedom to express ourselves, and develop ourselves When we take back, and develop our ability to represent and advocate on behalf of ourselves, and our own peers, we promote a rights based approach to services, which focuses on what we actually need, require or want.

Who better than ourselves to represent and support ourselves?

Peer To Peer Support
ICAAN believe that *we* are the best people to support and advocate for us.

Peer to Peer support is an extension of this.

The intention is that, through social and community support between Aspies, Auties and Cousins, those recently diagnosed and in need of support can develop greater understanding, and learn coping mechanisms from others like them - their peers.

We aim to provide individual and group support, voluntarily, between those with experience and life skills and those in need.

It makes sense to us to call on our own kind, rather then calling on those who, despite their best efforts, are incapable of accepting our needs, wants, feelings and behaviour without ridicule, demeaning behaviour, trying to change us to suit them. To go on submitting ourselves to this is to succumb to prejudice and submit to a kind of psychological terrorism. It often had the effect of stripping away our individual character and abilities to fit a convenient label, that needs to be tolerated and ordered in everything.

We are sick and tired being treated as children, no no talents, who are incapable of making effective decisions for ourselves, or charity cases to be pitied and thrown the scraps of civilisation. We are not defectives with absolutely no ability. Nor are we bereavements on our parents and family by our very existence.

We have very useful strengths, abilities, interests which vary in each of us; some of us are considerably more enabled than the norm in some ways by our outlook, philosophy, and mental ability.

Peer to Peer support helps us to learn self respect and self esteem, as well as to learn coping mechanisms, and reliance on our strengths and abilities. Peer support can take many forms. It can be as simple as a one-to-one buddy, or big brother, to call on for support, or as sophisticated as an advocate to uphold our rights, or a facilitator for social, educational and training events.

This space is here to build on, and help us to consider and develop ourselves, and our services for ourselves.

An example of such distorted idea of our needs was in The Right Living Space - Housing and Accommodation Needs of People with Disabilities (Social Policy Series, November 2007, by Citizens Information Board and Disability Federation of Ireland).

Here it was noted that organisations for people with Intellectual Disabilities (such as Aspire) tended to send in submissions advocating Groups Homes of One Room Flats, while submissions from users demanded greater diversity of support involving more independent living, taking into account their needs, family, social-life, married , relationship or family status, and changing mobility and disability issues through life - in other words in many cases the one-fit-suits-all of the submissions by organisations was ill-considered and totally unrepresentative of need, use, or suitability during the life-cycle to the point of being detrimental.

It is more important for us to have a settled and familiar environment, where we can feel safe enough to learn to regulate our own behaviour than to be being forced into a restrictive environment where our decisions are made, and our behaviour is regulated for us, which can only result in developmental stagnation, or even regression for us.

Please feel free to make any changes or suggestions. info@icaan.ie