MP Visit to Autism Centre

12.00.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Sep 2006

Vincent Cable MP visited Whitton School's new autism centre on Friday; met parents and pupils; and answered questions from pupils at the School.

He said: "I was first lobbied by anxious parents with autistic children about six years ago. There were no specialist facilities and the children were sent to special schools out of borough or left to their own devices in the schools. There was also a worrying rise in the numbers of autistic children which no-one could explain. Even since then I have pressed for better facilities and I am delighted that the Borough has now established a purpose built centre at St James' RC, Twickenham for primary pupils and at Whitton for secondary students. The facilities were excellent but, even better was the commitment of the other pupils in the School to treat the autistic pupils as full members of the school community."