A mum called Sarah told me about how her little girl would sometimes have meltdowns, how when it got too noisy, she would lose all control and would scratch at her own eyes so that Sarah had to try to restrain her, how her brothers didn’t understand why their sister sometimes hit out at them and why their mum wasn’t telling her off. And all the time that Sarah was dealing with all of that, and holding down a job, she was also fighting to get her daughter a diagnosis. She told me she had to fight for everything, and that it was so exhausting when you have to spend your day looking after a child who is pinching, head-butting and biting at you. Now, the good news is that Sarah’s daughter got a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and that they are both now receiving support. They’ve got strategies in place that help them manage things. Her daughter has little flip cards that help her plan her daily routines.

I don’t want to suggest that many positive practices are not already in place. The problem is that while good practice in services for people with ASD is evident in some parts of Wales, in other areas services are poor, and waiting times, for a diagnosis in particular, are far too long. That’s why I’m introducing this Bill, because evidence from research, and the two consultations I ran, showed that services across Wales for people with ASD are inconsistent, and in some areas, inadequate. The Bill aims to promote best practice in autism services in all areas of Wales and to ensure that people with ASD and their families and carers are able to navigate them.

It is to the Welsh Government’s credit that it chose to publish and maintain an autism strategy that has secured some tangible service improvements. This Bill aims to build on those developments. It requires relevant bodies to comply with the strategy and associated guidance, ensuring consistent levels of services. And it provides a legislative framework to secure ongoing improvements and longer term service continuity.

It’s a Bill that is aimed at maintaining a governmental focus on the needs of people like Sarah and her daughter, regardless of whatever political and economic climates may arise in the future. For instance, the Bill requires the Welsh Government to publish an autism strategy and associated guidance, with which local authorities and NHS bodies must comply. The strategy and guidance will be subject to consultation and periodic review.

The Bill sets out requirements for data to be collected and published. This is to enable ongoing planning and improvement of ASD services. The Bill also recognises that some of the challenges faced by people with ASD, their families and carers could be helped by greater understanding about ASD from the public and service providers. Consequently, the Bill addresses the need for training and requires Welsh Ministers to undertake an awareness-raising campaign to enhance understanding of the needs of people with ASD by the public, employers and service providers. 

In the interest of futureproofing, the Bill uses the definition of autism spectrum disorder in the World Health Organization's international classification of diseases. That means that if our understanding of autism spectrum disorder changes in the future, the Bill will change with it. The Bill also includes a power for its provisions to be applied in relation to other neurodevelopmental disorders. This power has been included to mitigate concerns that an autism Bill could inadvertently diminish relevant bodies’ focus on addressing other neurodevelopmental disorders. It would be for Welsh Ministers to justify, in bringing forward regulations for the Assembly’s consideration, whether the provisions of the Bill would be appropriate in relation to the needs of people with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Again, my underlying intention has been to anticipate the potential for issues arising in the future and ensure that this legislation is fit for purpose, not just now but in the years to come.

In summary, this is a Bill built for meeting the needs of people with autism, now and in the future, once and for all, ensuring timely diagnosis and better support across the country, no matter where you live, and increasing public awareness of autism and a wider understanding of the condition among us all. 

Before closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to thank everyone who has engaged in the two consultations I've conducted in the development of this Bill, and the hundreds of individuals, like Sarah and her daughter, who have spoken personally with me about its proposals. I am pleased that the overwhelming majority of responses have been very positive about the Bill, and that the Bill has been improved as a result of their input. I continue to welcome such input, and look forward to open-minded and thorough discussions in the course of this Bill’s legislative journey through the Assembly, and I commend it to this Chamber.