Many people living with autism in Scotland have been disappointed and let down by the Scottish Government’s 10-year Autism Strategy launched in 2011. We have had lots of talk, conferences and words on paper but no action or material changes.
So many of us had high hopes for improvements for our loved ones but these improvements have never materialised. For the Scottish Government to claim they have accomplished much for autistic people and their families is simply untrue.
Scottish Autism Strategy Outcomes and Priorities 2018-2021
The Scottish Autism Strategy Outcomes and Priorities 2018 -2021 document (https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00533392.pdf) published in March 2018, sets out priorities for action for the final phase of the 10 year Autism Strategy through to 2021. To inform this document, the Scottish Government undertook a series of engagement events including a consultation.
However, I believe that this document has failed once again to commit to real, meaningful and measurable improvement for autistic people in Scotland and that they have been subjected to yet more vague and largely meaningless rhetoric.
It is now imperative that clear, meaningful and quantifiable improvements for autistic people in Scotland are identified for this time period.
E.g. In response to the current crisis in autism diagnostic services in Scotland where there are inconsistencies and widespread unacceptable delays and waiting times, the Outcomes and Priorities document states under Strategic Outcome One: A Healthy Life:
“Autistic people enjoy the highest attainable standard of living, health and family life and have timely access to diagnostic assessment and integrated support services”
In terms of what the Scottish Government says it will do next, it commits to:
“…continue to facilitate improvement for autism assessment and diagnosis for all age groups and genders through Improvement Programmes and the Autism Knowledge Hub.”
This is both unacceptably vague and unmeasurable.
I want the vague goals/outcomes of the current Autism Strategy to be supplemented with meaningful and measurable targets that will guarantee real change for autistic people and their families over the next 3 years and to create a real legacy of improvements in service provision for autistic people in Scotland.