Mouthpiece: Aspire to focus on ASD needs

Scotland's first strategy is a good first step, says Paul Edie

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Around 67 million people worldwide (500,000 in the UK) are affected by autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

Perceptions of autism and Asperger Syndrome are often formed from popular films such as Rain Man and books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. While these are valid depictions, they are also caricatures as the condition will affect people differently.

Autism affects how a person communicates and relates to other people, and how they make sense of the world around them. They may experience over-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, or light. One autistic child I know has very sensitive feet and often walks barefoot on tiptoes.

Sadly, this can result in bullying. Over 40 per cent of children with ASD report as having been bullied at school.

For public policy purposes, ASD has been classed as either a mental health issue or learning disability. It is, in fact, neither, although many people who have ASD may also have these conditions. The development of the first Scottish Autism Strategy will help to focus minds on the needs of people with ASD, and I welcome the 10 million for research.

The increasing number of young people with ASD need support to achieve better outcomes and improved life skills, and to access employment and social networks. The council provides a number of services. For example, we have recently started a new service for young people with high-functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome to help them plan for when they leave school. This service is called ASPIRE.

On World Autism Awareness Day, I would urge everyone to take five minutes out of their busy day to improve their knowledge of ASD.

• Councillor Paul Edie is convener of Edinburgh City Council's health and social care committee.