Evidence library

The Autism (Scotland) Bill was introduced as a Member?s Bill in the Scottish Parliament on 26 May 2010 by Hugh O?Donnell MSP. The purpose of the Bill is to place a statutory duty on the Scottish Government to prepare and publish an "Autism Strategy? to meet the needs of young people and adults with autistic spectrum conditions, and to produce guidance for local authorities and NHS bodies to implement the Autism strategy. This briefing explains what the "autistic spectrum? is and examines statistics on its prevalence in the UK. It summarises responses to the Member?s consultation on the proposal for an Autism Strategy, considers the financial and legal implications of the Bill and provides an overview of existing legislation and policy relating to individuals on the autistic spectrum. It outlines the recommendations made in the Scottish Government?s draft Autism Strategy consultation and finally, the briefing provides a summary of the written evidence received by the Scottish Parliament Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee on the Bill.