Autism Act 2009
Encyclopedia
The Autism Act 2009 is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. The Act makes provision about the needs of adults suffering from autism
. It is the first ever disability-specific legislation to be passed in the United Kingdom.
I Exist campaign which led to the creation of a Private Members Bill. This was drafted by a number of autism related organisations:
It was introduced to the House of Commons by Conservative
MP Cheryl Gillan on 21 January 2009. It was then introduced to the House of Lords
on 2 June 2009.
has a duty to prepare and publish an autism strategy which sets out the strategy for meeting the needs of adults in England with autism by improving the provision of relevant services to such adults by local authorities, National Health Service
(NHS) bodies and foundation trusts. This strategy has to be published no later than 1 April 2010.
The Secretary of State must keep the strategy under review. They must also consult and seek the participation of persons they deem appropriate when preparing the strategy and revising it in such a way which would result in a substantial change to the strategy in the Secretary of State's opinion.
The Secretary of State must also consult local authorities and NHS bodies when issuing guidance or when revising it in such a way which would result in a substantial change to the guidance.
, said: “At TreeHouse we believe that the there is still much work to be done to improve services for the one in 100 children and young people with autism. Their parents all too often have to fight to get the right provision for their children. We will be working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure that they keep to their word to implement these improvements.”
Richard Mills, Director of Research at Research Autism, said: “This is a wonderful end to a determined campaign led by the NAS. We are hopeful that it will lead to an improvement in services and support for adults with autism in England. As the evidence base for effective services for adults is poor we hope that the Autism Strategy, that will underpin the Act, will take full account of the potential contribution of research to the development of effective services. Research Autism is proud to have been associated with this campaign.”
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The Act makes provision about the needs of adults suffering from autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. It is the first ever disability-specific legislation to be passed in the United Kingdom.
Background
The Act began as part of the National Autistic Society'sNational Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders , including autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is primarily to improve of the lives of people with Autism in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid...
I Exist campaign which led to the creation of a Private Members Bill. This was drafted by a number of autism related organisations:
- National Autistic SocietyNational Autistic SocietyThe National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders , including autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is primarily to improve of the lives of people with Autism in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid...
(NAS) - AIM
- Autism AngliaAutism AngliaAutism Anglia is an organization and registered charity that provides services to those affected by autism in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. In 2008 The Essex Autistic Society took over the Norfolk Autistic Community Housing Association and the Norfolk Autistic Society and changed the name of the new...
- Autism Education Trust
- Autism Initiatives UK
- Autism Research Centre (ARC)
- Autism SpeaksAutism SpeaksAutism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
- Autism West Midlands
- The Children's SocietyThe Children's SocietyThe Children's Society, formally The Church of England Children's Society, is a UK charity allied to the Church of England and driven by a belief that all children deserve a good childhood.-History:...
- Hampshire Autistic Society
- Research Autism
- Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society
- Sussex Autistic Community Trust
- TreeHouseTreeHouseTreeHouse is a United Kingdom charity working to improve the quality of life of children diagnosed with autism and their families, and to inform the general public about autism spectrum disorders. TreeHouse was established in 1997 by parents of children with autism. The current chief executive is...
- The Wessex Autistic Society
- Wirral Autistic Society
It was introduced to the House of Commons by Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Cheryl Gillan on 21 January 2009. It was then introduced to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 2 June 2009.
Autism Strategy
The Secretary of StateSecretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
has a duty to prepare and publish an autism strategy which sets out the strategy for meeting the needs of adults in England with autism by improving the provision of relevant services to such adults by local authorities, National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS) bodies and foundation trusts. This strategy has to be published no later than 1 April 2010.
The Secretary of State must keep the strategy under review. They must also consult and seek the participation of persons they deem appropriate when preparing the strategy and revising it in such a way which would result in a substantial change to the strategy in the Secretary of State's opinion.
Guidance
In order for the strategy to be successful, the Secretary of State must issue guidance to NHS bodies and local authorities by no later than 31 December 2010. The Secretary of State must also keep the guidance under review. The guidance must include guidance about:- the provision of relevant services for the purpose of diagnosing autistic spectrum conditions in adults;
- the identification of adults with such conditions;
- the assessment of the needs of adults with such conditions for relevant services;
- planning in relation to the provision of relevant services to persons with autistic spectrum conditions as they move from being children to adults;
- other planning in relation to the provision of relevant services to adults with autistic spectrum conditions;
- the training of staff who provide relevant services to adults with such conditions;
- local arrangements for leadership in relation to the provision of relevant services to adults with such conditions.
The Secretary of State must also consult local authorities and NHS bodies when issuing guidance or when revising it in such a way which would result in a substantial change to the guidance.
Local Authorities and NHS Bodies
Local authorities and NHS bodies have a duty under this Act to treat guidance as if it were general guidance issued under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970.Expenses
Parliament will pay for any expenditure incurred under or because of this Act by the Secretary of State and any increase due to the introduction of the Act.Provisions
Section 6(2) provides that the Act came into force at the end of the period of two months that began on the date on which it was passed. The word "months" means calendar months. The day (that is to say, 12 November 2009) on which the Act was passed (that is to say, received royal assent) is included in the period of two months. This means that the Act came into force on 12 January 2010.Reception
Sasha Daly, Policy & Parliamentary Manager at TreeHouseTreeHouse
TreeHouse is a United Kingdom charity working to improve the quality of life of children diagnosed with autism and their families, and to inform the general public about autism spectrum disorders. TreeHouse was established in 1997 by parents of children with autism. The current chief executive is...
, said: “At TreeHouse we believe that the there is still much work to be done to improve services for the one in 100 children and young people with autism. Their parents all too often have to fight to get the right provision for their children. We will be working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to ensure that they keep to their word to implement these improvements.”
Richard Mills, Director of Research at Research Autism, said: “This is a wonderful end to a determined campaign led by the NAS. We are hopeful that it will lead to an improvement in services and support for adults with autism in England. As the evidence base for effective services for adults is poor we hope that the Autism Strategy, that will underpin the Act, will take full account of the potential contribution of research to the development of effective services. Research Autism is proud to have been associated with this campaign.”
External links
- The Autism Act 2009, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Autism Act 2009, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Autism Act 2009.