Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru	National Assembly for Wales
Bil Awtistiaeth (Cymru) drafft	Draft Autism (Wales) Bill
Ffurflen Hawdd ei Darllen DAB15	Easy Read DAB15
Ymateb gan: Dienw	Evidence from: Anonymous

I was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome in 2006, like most people on the spectrum, during criminal justice proceedings. A case of causing harassment, alarm and distress was brought against me by a female student on my University Astrophysics course.

Now, in 2018, additional to my paid Supermarket job i am unpaid senior volunteer cover manager in a charity shop. I am trusted to supervise young and vulnurable people who are doing hours for the Duke of Edinburgh award and the Welsh Baccalaurette.

Despite this, Advocacy Matters Wales said it is "unable to support me" and Autistic Spectrum Connections Cymru said that "due to safeguarding" i am not allowed in the building without permission, thus there is (and has been) scope for me to be excluded from the social events it organises.

I would understand this if i was on the sex offenders register but i am not. My conviction was pre-diagnosis and a matter of a female branding me as "weird".

Having read the draft Autism bill and bearing in mind that people like me go undiagnosed until a complaint is made, i think the strategy should make it mandatory for advocacy services to provide the same level of support to all people on the spectrum regardless of the circumstances in which the diagnosis is made.