The National Autistic Society Manifesto
A general election will be called before January 2025. Thousands of autistic people are being let down by a lack of appropriate support and services from education and employment to mental health, social care and access to diagnosis.
Now is the time to Change the Conversation about autism. Thats why we are calling on the future Government to:
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Just 26% of autistic children feel happy at school and almost three in four parents think their child’s school place does not meet their needs. Our research shows that just 39% of teachers had received more than half a days’ worth of autism training but crucially 7 in 10 autistic students say their teachers don’t understand them. Autism is the largest represented condition in Education Health and Care (EHC) plans but parents of autistic children have to fight too hard for too long, for too little support.Mandatory all school staff training on autism is vital to make sure all autistic pupils feel understood and supported at school. As well as this, the future Government must urgently address delays in EHC plans by standardising the process and providing Local Authorities with the funds to ensure they can meet demand.
Young Ambassador Max tells us why this matters:
"I had a really rocky start to my education. I was kicked out of preschool, as I kept having meltdowns because the sensory environment was just too overwhelming. At primary school, I fell into the cycle of turning up to school at 9am, having a meltdown, being restrained, put in seclusion, and then being kicked off-site with a three-day exclusion by 11am. Heartbreakingly I know that there are still autistic children going through the same thing I did.Staff understanding (not just teachers), is the most important and powerful thing to me. It’s so important there is widespread understanding in schools, rather than a single person responsible for all autism support. This can only be done if all staff get training and professional development."
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Getting an autism diagnosis can be life-changing and lead to getting the right support. Every autistic person deserves timely access to diagnosis, yet in September 2023, almost 160,00 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England. This is a 50% increase in the number of people waiting in just one year and 85% of these people have been waiting longer than the NICE recommended 13 weeks. All parties should set a target date by which no one is waiting longer than 13 weeks and ensure that everyone has suitable pre- and post-diagnostic support.
Young Ambassador Hannah tells us why this matters:
"Getting a diagnosis of autism was more than just a ‘label’. It allowed me to understand myself so much better and explained some of my challenges and difficulties. Growing up I felt very lost, confused and broken. The diagnosis wasn’t a magic, overnight cure, but it planted the seeds for me to grow and ultimately bloom."
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There are 2,035 autistic people and people with learning disabilities in inpatient mental health hospitals in England. The number of autistic people without a learning disability detained in mental health hospitals has increased by 100% from 450 in 2015 to 900 at the end of 2023. In mental health units, Autistic people experience inconsistent and high levels of restraint, seclusion and segregation. This is a deprivation of liberty which poses serious human rights concerns.The Mental Health Act 1983 must be amended as soon as possible, so that autistic people can no longer be detained just because they are autistic. There must also be significant, long-term funding for community mental health and social care services.
Young Ambassador Hannah tells us why this matters:"The mental health system is failing autistic people. I spent years in and out of mental health hospitals which only added to my trauma and I experienced further harm and distress. There were times that I was left with no support at all and in the worst cases I was subjected to mistreatment and neglect. A lack of autism understanding meant that I was labelled difficult and complex instead of being given the help I needed. My experiences drive my desire to campaign for change to ensure the experiences I and many others have had are not repeated."
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Autistic people face the worst employment gap out of all disabled people; ONS data shows just 29% are in work. There are multiple barriers to employment for autistic people including a lack of support at school, inaccessible hiring practices and a lack of reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Not all autistic people are able to work but there are many that are not in work solely because the right support is simply not available.Each political party must commit to halving the employment gap by 2030 and improving reporting of employment data.
Leo, Job coach at the National Autistic Society, tells us why this matters:"I want to see the employment rate for autistic people rise dramatically from its current level of 29% according to official statistics. Although not every autistic person can nor should be working, there are equally a lot of people who want to bring their talents to bear in ways that can help society, as well as find happiness for themselves. So it’s time overdue for lawmakers to provide the avenues and support that will help autistic people find a strong place in a society that works for them and their families."
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The next Government must make sure Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is fully rolled out to all health and social care staff. As well as this mandatory autism training should be co-produced with autistic people and rolled out to criminal justice services, all public transportation staff and all benefits staff.
Young Ambassador Rosie tells us why this matters:
"A lack of autism understanding from health care staff has left me with preventable medical trauma. After being admitted to hospital due to a seizure, medical staff mistook my symptoms for mental illness and had no understanding of my autistic communication needs. Staff were told not to engage with my signing, took away my pen and paper and would not provide an interpreter leaving me with no means of communicating. This, along with other traumatic examples of misunderstanding my needs prolonged my stay in hospital and led to misinformed and unnecessary referrals. If all public services staff were adequately trained to understand autism, other autistic people won’t have to go through what I did."