Evening online workshop: Thursday 23 November 2023 6.00pm – 8.00pm GMT
Understanding Parent Blame – working with autistic parents accused of Fabricated or Induced Illness, particularly when a medical/psychological condition is missed or not understood. Too many autistic parents are being accused of Fabricated or Induced Illness when seeking education, health, and/or social care support for their ‘disabled’ child. Parents have found themselves subject to Child Protection proceedings where their children have subsequently been removed from their care, often with unsubstantiated evidence stacked up against them, where their voices are discounted and unheard. This is happening now, today, with many families enduring unnecessary harm based upon an under-researched, quasi-medical diagnosis.
To promote and awareness of how the Child Protection system inadvertently causes immense harm/trauma to autistic parents and their children, when parents are wrongfully accused of Fabricated or Induced Illness.
Attendees will understand both the medical and social perspectives of Fabricated or Induced Illness, what the alerting signs are, and the growing and very prevalent culture where thousands of parents/caregivers in the UK are at imminent risk of their children being removed from their care, or they have already lost custody of their child/children.
Cathie Long is a multi-award-winning independent social worker and an expert witness. She is in her final clinical training year (Transactional Analysis) as a psychotherapist at The Wyvern Institute in Chipping Sodbury. Cathie has an MA in Autism. In her late fifties, Cathie discovered that she is autistic with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which has been a life-changing experience, giving her a much greater sense of “I’m-OK, You’re-OK”.
In recent years Cathie has received hundreds of enquiries from parents accused of Fabricated or Induced Illness which prompted her to bring together a group of renowned experts to write a social worker practice guide for the British Association of Social Workers. Cathie has published journal articles and contributed to other recent publications in her efforts to raise awareness about the ramifications of FII, and her desire to influence and shape fair and ethical professional practice. Cathie has a small psychotherapy practice and some of her clients are autistic women who have been accused of FII. Cathie has recently won an award as ‘Most Innovative Mental Health-Focused Social Worker (Wales)’ and is a finalist in the Social Care Wales Innovative Leadership Award accolades, 2023.
£30 inc VAT
VAT Registration Number: 450 2279 15
