continue our work to ensure our Jobcentre network is welcoming and supportive to autistic customers, developing and testing new approaches through our Health Model Offices

Use our free self-assessment tool to audit and identify gaps in your safeguarding arrangements, create an action plan and implement any changes. Safeguarding and child protection in schools In 2021, too many autistic people still face long waits for their diagnosis – and do not always receive support that is tailored to their needs at an early enough stage. Far too many autistic people still struggle in childhood, both with getting a diagnosis and with support following a diagnosis, including at school, and find it hard to get a job when they reach adulthood.

Contact us

Some autistic young people need support to get into employment, and we want to ensure more people can get this. That is why we are strengthening and promoting pathways to employment, such as Supported Internships, traineeships and apprenticeships. To make this happen, we are working to support all local areas to develop Supported Employment Forums bringing together employers, Jobcentres, education providers, local authorities, young people and their parents to discuss employment opportunities for young people with SEND in their local areas. These forums will focus local skills provision on local employment needs, publicise opportunities for young people with SEND, including to employers, and create work placement opportunities for autistic young people. Teach children and young people about healthy relationships using our tips and advice for different ages, including children with SEND. Love Life resources

develop and test an autism public understanding and acceptance initiative, working with autistic people and their families, and the voluntary sectorListen to our podcast episode on intersectionality in social work practice Learning for practitioners: understanding the child By 2026, we want to demonstrate that we have significantly improved public understanding and acceptance of autism, and that autistic people feel more included in their communities and less lonely and/or isolated. We want the public to have a better understanding of autism and to have changed their behaviour towards autistic people and their families.

While we have made these important improvements, there is still much more to do to ensure that autistic people across the country have equal opportunities to the rest of society, access to the services they need to have good health and wellbeing and to participate fully in their communities.Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CEA) (2015a) Relationships and sexuality education guidance: an update for post-primary schools (PDF). Belfast: Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CEA). In Scotland, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 makes provision for children and young people who have additional support needs (ASN). A child or young person has ASN if they are of school age or younger and require additional support to benefit from school education. This includes children and young people who: Some autistic people will need very little or no support in their everyday lives while others may need high levels of care, such as 24-hour support in residential care. People may need help with a range of things, from forming friendships, coping at school, managing at work, or being able to get out and about in the community. In this strategy, we also talk about neurodiversity, which refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It is estimated that around 1 in 10 people across the UK are neurodivergent, meaning that the brain functions, learns and processes information differently ( Embracing Complexity Coalition, 2019). Why a new autism strategy is needed Franklin, Anita, Toft, Alex and Goff, Sarah (2019) Parents' and carers' views on how we can work together to prevent the sexual abuse of disabled children: "You fear everything that is out of your control. Because you are their safe one" (PDF). London: NSPCC. Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CEA) (2015b) Relationships and sexuality education guidance: an update for primary schools (PDF). Belfast: Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CEA).

We are clear that in some areas work will only begin after the first year (2021 to 2022), and in many there will need to be additional actions in the subsequent years of the strategy to fully realise our vision. In some areas work is still in early stages or ongoing so we will wait on findings or further progress before we take action. This includes the National Autistic Society’s research on developing a tailored Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model and the development of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training for health and care professionals. Once developed, this can be adapted to other public servants, including the police or housing officers. In other areas like employment, we have work underway to improve support for autistic people but will monitor the full impact of the pandemic to ensure we are continuing to take the right actions. Social workers play an important role in identifying the support autistic people need throughout their lives. That is why, in addition to developing Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, we will publish a Capability Statement for social work with autistic children and their families in line with the existing Capability Statement for Social Work with Autistic Adults to ensure they have the knowledge required to support people throughout their lives. We will also introduce new National Assessment and Accreditation System (NAAS) simulated practice and knowledge assessment materials for social workers working with autistic children. Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), like all children, have diverse identities. As well as experiencing prejudice or bias related to their special educational needs or disabilities, they might experience challenges relating to other parts of their identity, such as: The online world has opened up many opportunities for children with SEND and can be a positive place where they can chat to friends, play games or find support.In 2019, we committed to a review of the existing autism strategy, Think Autism. to ensure it is still fit for purpose. We launched a public call for evidence on 14 March 2019, involving autistic people, their families and carers, professionals and voluntary organisations. This call for evidence, published alongside this strategy, received 2,700 responses and has shaped our understanding of the issues autistic people and their families face across their lives. This, as well as the findings from the APPGA inquiry into the Autism Act, has shaped the focus and actions we are taking in this strategy. This strategy aligns with wider government work underway, for example the National Disability Strategy, which will also impact on autistic people and their families. We will ensure issues relevant to autistic people are considered as part of these programmes of work. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic I have ADHD and have been diagnosed with depression. I’ve been having a hard time at school, which has got worse since I came out as gay. The guys who bully me do it in the playground and online in the evenings when I’m trying to relax. When I get stressed, I make sudden movements and shout out things, which I can’t control. Sometimes I also hurt myself when I act like this.” In the first year of the strategy, we will drive improved employer awareness of autism, so they better understand the benefits of employing autistic people and are able to make the adjustments needed to recruit and properly support them. We will also continue to promote better access to employment support programmes for autistic people and move forward with our plans to improve the benefits system for disabled people to ensure this better supports autistic people who are unable to work. We will significantly improve the public’s understanding and acceptance of autism, and show that autistic people feel more included and accepted in their communities. We also want the public to understand how autism can affect people differently, including the difference in how autistic women and girls present, and to help change people’s behaviour towards autistic people and their families. We want many more businesses, public sector services and different parts of the transport system to become more autism-inclusive, so that autistic people can access these spaces and services, just like everyone else. Improving autistic children and young people’s access to education and supporting positive transitions into adulthood Welsh Government (2013) Special educational needs code of practice for Wales. [Accessed 21/01/2021]. Childline