Being a parent of a beautiful child that is currently going through this process I understand the complexities that arise from having a child that has different needs. It not only affects the individual but the whole family as a unit. Research tells us that THOUSANDS of young girls are getting misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and MALE BIASED assessments. Meanwhile this leaves the families crying out for help and more importantly our children suffering unnecessary anxiety, stress and a low quality of life. As a parent all we want is for our children to be safe, healthy and happy. Our children have a right to a fair assessment and service.The whole autism process is way too complicated, frustrating, inconsistent and can take years to attain a diagnosis. No diagnosis no help. Individuals with autism are NINE times more likely to die prematurely, with suicide being the principal cause. This figure could potentially be a lot HIGHER if girls are getting missed. Many girls will have either have been dismissed as a problem child or driven by their overwhelming anxiety and depression into an already underfunded mental health service. We as a society always focus on our physical wellbeing, yet both emotional and physical walk hand in hand. There is an urgent need for the government to address this GENDER BIAS and ensure ALL KEY PROFESSIONALS across the UK are trained and made aware of the differences. Additionally ALL AUTISM SCREENING TOOLS need to include the subtle autistic traits of girls to ensure fairness and consistency. Awareness, early diagnosis and intervention is all that is needed to help our children. Please sign this life changing petition to ensure that no female child or adult gets overlooked or misdiagnosed and suffer unnecessarily. http://network.autism.org.uk/knowledge/insight-opinion/interview-dr-judith-gould-women-and-girls http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15332985.2015.1031858 http://autismwomensnetwork.org/autistic-women-misdiagnosis-and-the-importance-of-getting-it-right/ http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simplex_community/autism_in_girls http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2016/apr/05/autism-learning-disability-premature-mortality

Without my car, I'm not safe. I use my vehicle to get to work, the supermarket, the shops, the cleaners, the hairdressers, to visit family, to volunteer, to do everything I need to do. Without my car, I cannot get about. I cannot safely walk to the bus stop, and should I use public transport I have no guarantee that my mobility will remain long enough for me to get to my destination or even get home. I've been stranded in city centres and other places because I used public transport and then wasn't strong enough to return to a bus stop and get home. Many people with motability vehicles rely on these to get by. Without my car, I couldn't work. If I can't work, I can't pay my rent. If I can't pay my rent, I don't have anywhere to live - disabled people are facing these choices today. Many disabled people have 'mild-moderate' support needs. That means, social services cannot afford to help them in this climate of cuts and their only way forward is disability benefits or a motability vehicle. Without the motability vehicle, we become vulnerable. We can exert ourselves, get weaker, get to a place where we become more reliant on the state, cannot work, cannot socialise and collectively cost more in healthcare. That argument doesn't matter though. What matters is that collectively we have a right and a need to access a full and equivalent life and bit by bit rights are being stripped away. Re-evaluate and stop removing people's motability cars.

It's important to show that even giant companies need to have a conscience. British Airways has offered nowhere near enough compensation. It's costing Athena around £1500 a week in lost earnings and alternative care and transport costs - and it's been over a hundred days since her wheelchair was broken being loaded onto a BA flight at London City Airport. I don't know what their annual profit is, but they can well afford to make a humane gesture and replace her much needed wheelchair. Surely they would rather have positive publicity about this?

Please Read Carefully....Thanks :) I live with chronic depression, associated anxiety neurosis and constant suicidal ideation too, which is unbearable at times,however,these are just labels forced upon me by mainstream psychiatry. I despise being labelled,especially when I feel these are wrong,inappropriate or clinically incorrect,so I'm constantly up against 'the system' (ironically who I've worked for too,in a number of specialist mental health roles,hence my anger at being labelled so seemingly randomly,by a string of locum/passing through psychiatrists who barely know me as a real and wholesome person at all), but I do my best to get by daily with support from friends,former workmates and my army comrades too. I intend to petition Caroline Lucas of the Green Party,to simply realise how essential these services are.There are increasing numbers of suicides daily, particularly where people suffering with PTSD issues are concerned,including all forces veterans and equally as important,as many civilians too, that's a fact sadly. One suicide today is one too many, so let's all fight to stop this now!!

Hundreds of volunteers and some paid staff, who are practitioners of a number of different therapy practices, including reflexology, aromatherapy or massage, acupuncture, healing and Reiki, Tai Chi and others are important to make sure people with cancer will loose their funding. Patients who are receiving palliative care need to be made as comfortable as possible and deserve the best care which these complementary therapy services provide.

I have a tribunal appeal coming up 4th Feb 2016, after been found fit for work. Even though I had to take ill health retirement from my job of 17 years. Due to Psoriatic Athritis. All medical evidence was disregarded. The assessment process is purposely flawed to find people fit for work. It must be stopped as people are dying due to this. Please support me in my fight to end this governments agenda to destroy the benefits system. If anybody in the Halton area wishes to attend the tribunal, its being held at Runcorn Courts Halton Lea at 11am Thursday 4th Feb.

Often, in various store or private car parks in Greenock / Inverclyde, where there are insufficient 'blue badge' parking bays anyway, there are no disabled parking bays left for disabled drivers due to them being used by drivers not displaying a 'blue badge' who deliberately ignore the signs! I am disabled with a 'blue badge' and often have to walk long distances to the stores' entrance because of this!

Swimming is one of the top attractions at any Olympics Previous trials have been filmed, including heats Maintaining a legacy comes with participation Televising the trials is a perfect way for the public to see the talent before Rio Inspires future talent Team GB finished 5th at the Kazan World Championships with 7 Golds

It is important that all disabled veterans are supported by the government as it is the same government that placed them in areas of conflict that has resulted in them requiring financial supports as a result of the injuries they received while serving their country this including loss of mobility, loss of their ability to maintain their basic personal care, ie such as washing dressing, nutrition. Please support this petition to ensure that those U.K veterans who have been left permanently disabled do not also find themselves financially disadvantaged due to the these changes. Ian Duncan Smith needs to remove this process, provide a fair system and be forced to support disabled veterans and not just on Poppy Day. It will only take a few minutes of your time, but a life time of difference to improve the quality of life for disabled veterans.

Mears helps the elderly to remain in their own homes. Elderly neighbours and relatives have found this service vital when they did not know who else to turn to. The cost is reasonable and the workmen are very good and caring.

A year ago my adult sons lost their transport when Salford's mayor decided they did not fit their criteria to keep it. Both my sons are totally dependent for all their needs and now we have to transport them ourselves. This has taken its toll on our health, and now the same mayor is looking to stop children's coaches to get them to their schools. This really cannot happen again. Our children need this service - it's vital to give them a better future. It is also needed for parents, to give them that little bit extra respite so that they can relax and know that their children are in safe hands on the way to and from school. So I am asking all the people who read this: please sign and don't let this happen again. Our children deserve the best.

At the moment the free bus pass is only valid for journeys which start after 9.30am. This seems illogical for a travel benefit which is specifically aimed at "people of working age". Imagine having a stroke in your early twenties, your life slips away to be replaced by dreams. You fight hard to recover, and learn how to walk. You want to volunteer at a local food bank but the bus pass you hold won't allow you to travel there on time. You were hoping that the volunteering might help you get a job. All you needed was a small helping hand instead of a closed door.