Autism is a lifelong condition and a hidden disability, so it is difficult to define. Autism affects children and adults, and people experience it in different ways.
For example, some autistic people need little or no support. Others may need help from a parent or carer every day. There is a broad spectrum of autism, and the right support, at the right time can make an enormous difference to people's lives.
We want to make autism services better for autistic people and their families. We also want to ensure there is an increased awareness and understanding of autism in wider society, which will help in improving the wellbeing of autistic people. To do this we need to ensure autistic people can feel involved and included in decisions that impact them, and can have their voices represented and heard.
Through working with our partners and autistic people, we know the main issues experienced by autistic people include:
To truly understand what autistic people and their families need, we want to ensure they are actively involved in our work, and can work with us to create the right services for them.
This page will aim to keep you up to date on our progress and ways to get involved.
The Welsh Government’s Code of Practice on the Delivery of Autism Services came into effect on 1st September. You can read it here.
Each Local Authority has a local Autism Lead that is the key contact for autism information, advice and guidance in that area.