Alan Somerville: Autism strategy a step in the right direction

This is an important step forward for them, especially as they progress into adulthood, in addressing the inequalities that many currently face in accessing health, education and everyday opportunities.

This approach can ultimately benefit us all – if people with the condition are better cared for we can help them maximise their potential and reduce the negative interventions required to deal with those who slip through the net. This can ultimately mean, for example, a reduction in the number of people with autism in Scottish prisons, a figure which is currently disproportionately high.

It can also lead to better management of healthcare resources with early intervention services to avoid storing up major health issues in future. Overall, it moves us towards a position where many people on the autism spectrum can access the same level of opportunity for participation and citizenship that others do.

Of course, the strategy in itself will do nothing without the hard work that must follow to get us to the next level. Scottish Autism is now focusing its efforts on segmenting Scotland’s autism community, not as a means of classifying and prescribing service packages but as a starting point in addressing the differing challenges that exist across the spectrum. Only by understanding this can we then provide the appropriate care.

Just as in business, where an organisation will segment its market to deliver products and services more finely tuned to the end consumers, we need to do the same within the autism spectrum to provide more personalised and ultimately better services.

We’ve a long way to go until we can put in place a model that truly delivers for the needs of people with all the differing forms of autism, but with the strategy in place we are now moving forward.

• Alan Somerville is chief executive of Scottish Autism