Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, has vowed to create a public autism awareness raising campaign later this year.
As Autism Awareness Week continues Health Secretary Matt Hancock, is calling for a more autism aware and inclusive society.
AWARE
Writing for Politics Home, the MP highlighted the need for improved public understanding of autism so that autistic people get the support they need. Without more understanding and support, autistic people can feel isolated.
According to the National Autistic Society, just 16% of autistic people believe the public understands the condition in a meaningful way.
Better awareness and education is necessary to change this.
CAMPAIGN
Now, Matt Hancock has vowed to create a public autism awareness campaign.
The campaign will work to improve perceptions of autism, and ensure people are understanding and appreciative of the situations autistic people can find challenging.
The new campaign will take place later this year.
Writing for the publication, Matt Hancock called for the views of autistic people and their families as the national autism strategy is reviewed. The strategy looks at how best to support autistic people in society.
Previously the strategy has solely covered autistic adults, but will now be extended to cover children, too. The news comes as autism and learning disabilities are made a priority area of the NHS Long Term Plan.
The consultation stage of this review is open until Thursday 16 May 2019.
The MP also highlighted the importance of support from businesses and services in the form of quiet hours for people on the spectrum and their families.
Follow Enable on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and support.