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About me My story

I'm 'Plinthing' for my son James, who is in the autistic spectrum. I’m not going to do anything except sit down and take in the view. Do some thinking about how much more could be done for people like James, if all of us just understood the need. And I’m going to plant some Scot’s Pine seeds that James’ mum gave him for his birthday last year. He likes growing stuff and is in love with everything Scottish. We’ll take them away and grow them on together until they are big enough to stand up for themselves.

The plan is to offer them to Scotland’s parks and gardens as a gift from an autistic person to anyone who admires them. Hopefully there will be a wee sign telling the story of how they came to be there and why. Aside from all that, we intend to enjoy our day out, me and James together.

So if you want, please use the Society's website WWW.NAS.ORG.UK to learn a little more about Autism, and maybe even donate. Thanks.

Comments

At 22:06, 06 October 2009 Selma Star wrote:

I am a fully-matured independanty-living adult with asperger syndrome. I was diagnosed when I was only 5, I spent my whole education in special schools and never worked. Working life brings demands I cannot cope with as well as not fitting in with other people. My worst problem is that I cannot participate in society as an accepted equal. I am severely socially exluded becuase of my noticable 'oddness' of demeanour which is something most NT (normal) people don't tolerate as they find it very irritating.

There are almost no social groups or activities for asperger and autistic adults except for just two hours in an evening once a month in only very few places in britain. Such a short session and 4 or 5 weeks at a time in between is not real benefit as we never get to know each other, it is just an occasional meeting with a bunch of strangers once in a blue moon. That is just no good enough.

We generally have to just muddle though life by ourselves. The welfare support system does not help us much becuase it is not classed as a mental-health problem or learning disability. It does not fit under any of the standard catogories of the care system. The only asperger and autistic people who do get official support are those who also have another learning disability and/or mental-health problem, that "qualifies" them for support as they them can fit into a catagory of the care system.

Life does not get any easier as one gets older. I am just as socially isolated now in my mid-forties as I was when I was a teenager. This is not just a chilren's and young people's behaviour problem. It is a life-long disorder.

Society adapts this world for wheel-chair access, hearing-loops and other things to allow people with disabilites equal access. but it does not allow any acommadation for 'odd-ball' behaviour. It is the difference of *behaviour* that will not be tolerated under any circumstamce what so ever.

There needs to be drop-ins, activities and social centres set up on weekly basis in the long-term for asperger and autistic adults thoughout their lives into old age especially in the day time for the non-working asperger and autistic people like myself. As they will never fit in becuase society will not allow that.

The oddness of our behaviour is not becuase we are rude, obscene or agressive. It it just *different*. But mainstream society only look at negatively and equate that as 'bad'. They then only treat us as psoblems, not people. They avoid us so to protect themselves from us being a 'problem' they fear that cannot cope with. That is how we are socially excluded. It is awful iving a life shut out behind this fence they (normal society) puts there.

There policies everywhere which are there to encourage society to accept and accomodate people who are different becuase they are of another race or nationality, becuase they are of a different religion, different sexual orientation or disabled in some way. But nobody will give this allowance for fit responsible adults who *behave* oddly. They jolly-well *should* put of with this oddness becuase people can't help it of they are autistic or menatally ill. We *cannot* just pull out socks up and act normal like everybody else, it is wrong that we are expected to. Life is bad enough with everyone treating us a nuisances. It is not as if people like me are half-animal, alien or something, we are 100% HUMAN, equally just the same as everybody else. We have equally much right to expect to be respected and eccepted in this society and have a place in this society and be part of it just as much as all the rest of you.

Please society out there, ACCEPT us. Put up with the odd way we behave. I am now TELLING you that. Becuase you should.

And know this.

Beind odd is NOT A CRIME!!!!!!!!

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Good luck for 15th - hope the sun shines all day. With live Boo (Friend of Rowena's)

what we do we do for our children!!!! good luck Lu

Well done Byron, hope you enjoyed your hour! Mike, Janice, Rachel and Emily.

well done byron! a great hour i hope the Mail feature does all good.

Well done, you have really hi lighted a worthy cause.

Good to raise awareness of Gary's continual fight against extradition too!

get off the phone!

This is why the plinth must keep going beyond the 100 days. It's wonderful

top man, go for it

I would do the same as you if I get a place on the plinth - for my son. GO FOR IT

Enjoy the hour. Will be watching the live webstream!

Hi Byron. I hope the weather is kind to you!

Good luck PS great photo

I love your idea of planting trees and giving them away! Have fun up there.

Go Byron and James! Have a fantastic hour up there and enjoy every minute. You're both brill!

Good luck Byron. Liz North/Brian Thompson

Hope the rain stops. Will be watching. Nice to see a man think! Enjoy the view. Regards to James et al too.

Good Luck Byron

What a wonderful gentle way to get an important message across.

Good luck and enjoy the hour!

Using Art for a truly good cause - fantastic. All my Love and Support to you and your Son James..I will pray for Sunshine!

You are amazing. Keep spreading the word.

Looking forward to seeing you and James LIVE in Trafalgar Square! Well done.

What a brilliant thing to do Byron! Quirky, thought provoking and rather wonderful - just like James. Much love and respect from Andrea

Wish you all the best Byron and James . checked the site and works fine

Wish you all the best Byron and James . checked the site and works fine

Wish you all the best Byron and James . checked the site and works fine

Good luck Byron! See you there.

May I add my support and best wishes to those of Andrew Greig, in helping raise awareness about Autism through our fellowship and witness, even at a distance, in the exciting matter of the Trafalgar Square plinth. How splendid that Anthony Gormley's inspired idea should allow a literal platform for so excellent a cause and such a worthy advocate for it. I am a Scottish poet, journalist and television producer Yours, in solidarity

Byron Bartlett has been chosen to occupy the Trafalgar Sq Plinth on 15th July. He intends to use it to publicise the condition and cause of Autism and of 'the trapped and inarticulate'. I just wanted to say how heartily I support this cause, having known Byron's son since he was a small child, and also knowing other children with this condition. I'm a novelist and currently a teacher of creative writing at 2 universities.

this note is to express my support for Byron Barlett's occupation of Gormley's Trafalgar Sq. Plinth on 15th July, in which he intends to acknowledge, honour and promote the thought of his autistic son James (whom I have known and greatly liked since birth), and of autism as a condition that affects, directly and indirectly, so many people, and to better consider support for the trapped and inartriculate in our society.. I offer this support as a Scottish writer and current Chair of the Scottish Arts Council

this note is to express my support for Byron Barlett's occupation of Gormley's Trafalgar Sq. Plinth on 15th July, in which he intends to acknowledge, honour and promote the thought of his autistic son James (whom I have known and greatly liked since birth), and of autism as a condition that affects, directly and indirectly, so many people, and to better consider support for the trapped and inarticulate in our society..

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