£10m boost for autism support welcomed

A LEADING autism charity has welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement that £10 million is to be directed towards supporting the 50,000 people in Scotland with the condition.

The commitment was kick-started by the Autism (Scotland) Bill, brought to parliament by MSP Hugh O'Donnell in January and supported by National Autism Society (NAS) Scotland and a coalition of other autism organisations.

Although the bill was unsuccessful, the government did not have an existing autism strategy in place at the time. The scale of the problems faced by people with autism came to the fore during the debate over the proposed legislation.

It is understood that the funding, to be delivered over three years, will initially support research and reduce diagnosis waiting lists, later being directed towards improving services for people with autism and their families across Scotland.

Welcoming the announcement, Dr Robert Moffat, director of NAS Scotland, said: "We believe that the hard work of NAS members and supporters and people with autism and their families in helping bring the Autism Scotland Bill to parliament has been a very significant factor in bringing about this new government commitment to the basic needs of people in Scotland with autism.

"As the government makes decisions over the next three years on how best to target available funds, we would urge them to actively engage with people with direct experience of autism, to best understand their support needs and help develop the most effective possible autism strategy."