In World Autism Awareness Week, Chair of the Cross Party Autism Group, Mark Isherwood AM, has called for poor understanding of autism among professionals to be improved.
Mr Isherwood made the plea during a 90-second Statement in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, in which he also questioned whether targets in the Welsh Government’s Autism Spectrum Condition Strategic Action Delivery Plan 2016-20 have been completed.
He said:
“This week is World Autism Awareness Week, raising awareness so that as many people as possible learn about autism. There are a number of targets in the Welsh Government’s Autism Spectrum Condition Strategic Action Delivery Plan 2016-20, which should have been completed by April 2017.
“Care pathways should have been developed by health boards for neurodevelopmental conditions under the Together for Children and Young People programme by November 2016. We need to know whether they’ve been developed and how they can be accessed. The March 2017 26-week waiting time target for referral to first assessment - we need to know whether it’s been met for both children and adults.”
“The target date for the integrated autism service (for Wales) was also March 2016, and in response to a written question to Janet Finch-Saunders on 21 February, the Minister for Social Services and Public Health said that the first four regions will offer the service from June this year. It would therefore be useful to know if that’s still the case, and when, in North Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board will offer the service.
“Above all, all children and adults, regardless of academic or social ability, have skills and strengths, but too many suffer from people’s attitudes towards autism and professionals’ poor understanding of autism. This must change.”