I have several friends with autistic children and therefore I know first-hand that delays in the diagnosis of autism can cause needless suffering, and as such, I am committed to ensuring that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) lead fulfilling and rewarding lives, a commitment I know that the Government shares. The delivery across health care is a priority of this Government, and with the development of the Adult Autism Strategy, we are moving towards delivering the improvements in care for those with ASD. The Government's guidance sets a clear direction for how health and social care can continue to improve services to deliver fulfilling and rewarding lives for people with autism.
You may be interested to learn that the Government has introduced a new birth-to-25 education, health and care plan which sets out in one place all the support families will receive and help bridge the gap between education to employment and independent living. For children, the Government is giving continued funding of £1.5 million to the Autism Education Trust to provide autism training to teachers, in addition to supporting the National Association for Special Educational Needs to produce a range of free, quality assured resources and training materials for schools, including on autism spectrum disorder. As someone who first became involved in politics to keep a special needs school open, I gladly welcome this news.