Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru	National Assembly for Wales
Bil Awtistiaeth (Cymru) drafft	Draft Autism (Wales) Bill
Arolwg Ar-lein DAB57	Online Survey DAB57
Ymateb gan Cyfrannog ar-lein 57	Evidence from Online Participant 57

Please refer to questions in the Online Survey.

Question	Answer
01	Yes The description should be listed as a "general  description , classifying identified areas of behaviour that qualify for support under this bill."   Each person with autism is unique as are their needs. They may have similarities to people on the spectrum but I haven't met two the same yet.
02	Yes Neurodevelopmental disorders covered should be listed , should this  however not be reflected in the title of the bill ? Does it demean disorders that are not directly related to autism to call it the Autism Bill  but including them in as an add on rather
03	Not sure Education, schools and colleges are certainly at the forefront and some may be in Local authority control. Social services have a large part to play alongside psychologists and occupational therapists. I think once a person is diagnosed the NHS as a whole structure is perhaps too stretched to cope with any additional demands that are often not medical related. Autism is not a disease and there isn't a known cure for this condition. Education and family support  to offer suitable strategies both socially and academically  to develop individuals skills would assist most to reach their potential as citizens of Wales.  Let's face it the local hospitals don't even have enough beds or staff on some wards to cope with demand and often struggle to recruit bilingual staff, this would be an additional stress.
04	Not sure Every person is an individual with different needs, you can not have a one cap fits all type of strategy dictated by teams of people who may not have expertise in this field. Educational professionals are possibly the best placed to diagnose problems, ref
05	If you have done your homework already and speak to existing experts,  I think this is feasible.
06	I think guidance and the bill should go hand in hand and should be kept as simple as possible.
07	Depends how easy you make the bill to implement. There is already a lot of good practice in Wales, you should build on this not enforce regulations unless you believe they are needed. Settings would need time to plan and implement guidelines and policy
08	I think a diagnosis should in some cases be within a month of concerns being raised. If children are diagnosed early by health professionals NICE guidelines are fine but some individuals need a diagnosis later in their childhood or early adulthood.(Research shows that girls in particular are very good at hiding Autistic spectrum disorders as they are typically better at observing and copying social behaviours.) Most people with autism are very anxious and in my opinion a faster diagnosis and support provision for older children and young adults would be more appropriate.
09	Yes If they have been identified and sent for an assessment it is  probably because the individual are not  coping well with everyday life. They may need the help as soon as possible to minimise anxiety and any social  or behavioural problems. Families deserve to have help and support when they need it not 6 months or a year later when they may be struggling to provide the correct care for an individual that may have challenging behaviour or emotional needs.
10	Yes Who decided the list above ? Is the persons doctor not qualified to make this judgement ? Also, no educational professionals are on your list, a teacher is sometimes the first to suspect a child has autism, they also encounter many children with autistic spectrum in their work and have to devise strategies to support them.  I would imagine that health visitors and teachers refer most cases to the people on your list above and are also qualified to  make an initial diagnosis if they have had ongoing Autism training and  more than 5 years  teaching experience. You have also omitted the most important people , the parents or carers who live with the individual and witness their behaviour every day.
11	As above : evidence from parents, teachers, health visitors Diagnosis made by  family doctor / psychologist or autism specialist in discussion with family and support. The bigger the team, the longer it takes to get a diagnosis and help needed. An initia
12	FEAR !  Not knowing services that are available or how to get help. Some autistic individuals do not cope well with change or  new places or events and can be  very anxious. Frustration caused by not getting the correct support can sometimes lead to challenging behaviour or anxiety that may prevent them from accessing services provided. More pre entry level  or vocational courses should be made available and courses that develop skills and qualities as well as academic achievement.
13	Yes
14	You should only keep information that is relevant. Statistics within each  governing area could analyse the number of people diagnosed and  possible links to sex or  the  time  taken to be diagnosed to determine if  corporate targets have been met,   but
15	It should be written on the Bill. It should be uniform across organisations as people move house and there should be continuity.
16	Yes Just the number of people being supported and strategies that have worked or good training providers maybe  to ensure the legislation is being met and devise further guidelines.
17	It should happen all the time. Should be part of ongoing training for staff likely to work with ASD . Employers should also have guidelines . There are many ASD people without a diagnosis, good work based training is good for everybody but especially those with ASD.  Clear rules, clear instructions and a safe working environment where workers are supported not chastised if they make a mistake.
18	The professionals already exist, there is no need to set up new teams and waste tax payers money on yet another council  based team. Bring them together once a month to support each other and raise awareness of training,  success stories and good practice. (I am always shocked to see how much property the councils and government occupy in prime locations with no expense spared on furnishings when other services struggle for cash). I think the bill should be good for those with ASD and those families, carers and education professionals who work with them and for them. The justice system will benefit as I know they already are working to effectively support  and understand individuals with ASD who they come into contact with.
19	Great idea, please make sure it benefits those who need it and is not just another do good job creation scheme where the assessing teams are so large they prolong diagnosis and delay support for those with ASD and other conditions who require help. Good