The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy – Time to Deliver

Let’s hope this actually does what it says on the tin, real, meaningful support for our autistic & neurodiverse community.

The House of Lords committee has just published their report “Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy”, calling for urgent, concrete action.

They highlight that more than 200,000 people are currently waiting for autism assessments.

They’re demanding a costed, deliverable plan for the next strategy (which needs to launch by July 2026) with real accountability.

They also stress the need for meaningful involvement of autistic people in every stage of designing and delivering this strategy.
UK Parliament Committees

Training must be expanded for public-facing staff, and there must be better support for autistic people in the criminal justice system.
UK Parliament Committees

Why this matters:
For too long, policy has been made for autistic people not with them. According to the report, successive governments have failed to deliver on real change. This isn’t just about “nice words” it’s about building a system that works, assessment, support, employment, health, justice all of it.

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/770/autism-act-2009-committee/news/210570/autism-act-committee-report-publication/