Can I call for a single statement on autism assessment delays across Wales? You may have seen reports of BBC Wales research last week that children in parts of Wales were waiting, on average, two years for an autism assessment despite the Welsh Government's target of six months or 26 weeks. We heard that freedom of information requests to local health boards revealed the average wait to be 107 weeks and six days in Hywel Dda Local Health Board, covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, and an average of 39 weeks in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board area, covering north Wales, for a child to be seen. But the quote from the Welsh Government was that the roll-out of a national integrated autism plan was continuing.

This month, I was contacted by a Flintshire mum who said her son was assessed by the child and adolescent mental health service at five, was recognised as displaying high-functioning autism, but a diagnosis wasn't given as they said they'd re-assess him in a few years rather than jump to conclusions. He was recently re-assessed by the new integrated autism service, and the outcome was that he didn't meet the autism criteria, but was neurologically different. She's requested a second opinion, as the written report clearly indicates that, in all areas, he is autistic, and this is supported by the many professionals they're currently working with.

I'm representing a large number of constituents in the autism community fighting to get the services needed by them or their loved ones, but being denied assessments, often on spurious grounds. I had a meeting with a health board clinical psychologist and a mum, herself on the spectrum, whose daughter was being denied assessment on the basis that she's so good at masking and coping in school before melting down at home. Instead, the health board clinical psychologist tried to psychoanalyse the mum in front of me. Another mum I met the other week with her daughter, aged 11—