At the Scottish Conservatives Conference, I spoke to attendees about our plan – in partnership with The National Autistic Society – to better support autistic people in Scotland. 

With NHS consistently under-resourced and education services failing to support people with autism and their families, it is essential to advocate for improvements. As the co-convener for the Autism Cross Party Group, I have worked to highlight the need for change. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with people experiencing and supporting autism. 

The Scottish Conservatives have published a plan which calls on the Scottish Government to make three crucial changes. Firstly, to introduce a national waiting time target of 3 months diagnosis assessment. Secondly, to record, monitor, and publish diagnosis waiting times for every area. Finally, to introduce a national order looking at the benefits of faster diagnosis. 

I will continue to press the Scottish Government to respond to our plan. I am proud to support policies aimed at improving the experiences of people with autism, their families, and their carers.