https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/770/autism-act-2009-committee/publications
a summary by Louie, Hannah & Brian
The Autism Act (2009) is the UK law dedicated specifically to supporting autistic people. It makes the government regularly create a formal autism strategy, combined with statutory guidance for the NHS and local authorities. In theory, this ensures accountability and change. Before Parliament creates the 2026 Autism Strategy, the House of Lords Select Committee gathered the views of many autistic people, advocates and academics to find out how successful the existing strategy has been, and the next steps.
“The Autism Act 2009 was a milestone, but it has not led to the kind of meaningful, lived change that autistic adults need. The challenges we face are structural, systemic, and worsening in the face of benefit reform and austerity.” Anon
Since the Act, autism has become prioritised by the NHS and local authorities. But the Select Committee report finds that these improvements have not translated into better long-term outcomes for autistic people. It highlights the need to address outdated assumptions: autism is widely recognised but poorly understood, particularly for women and those who do not fit stereotypes.
“There must be no more decisions about us without us. Government consultations must actively include autistic people and their families, particularly those from underrepresented communities, to ensure that policies reflect lived experiences rather than outdated assumptions”. (Marsha Martin, Founder & CEO of Black SEN Mamas.
Newspapers have been using outdated language, publishing biased stories towards tragedy, and reinforcing gender stereotypes. Witnesses to the Select Committee said that recent comments about overdiagnosis by politicians from across the political parties have been particularly damaging for autistic people.
“Harmful phrases like ‘everyone is a little autistic’ or ‘you don’t look autistic’ dismiss real needs and are deeply damaging.” Charli Clement
Assessment services are overwhelmed, many autistic people receive no support after diagnosis, autistic adults continue to face worse health and life expectancy, and public spaces and services remain inaccessible. Many autistic people told the Committee that a diagnosis helped them make sense of their experiences.
“Once someone has a diagnosis, it does not mean they are able to a) know or understand how their autism presents; b) articulate what their autism means to them; and c) know or understand or articulate what adjustments they might need to help them.” Steven Ingram. Founder of Neurodiversity Together
The biggest failures are systemic: a lack of investment, inconsistent local implementation, and the absence of a fully costed strategic plan.
“To fulfil its vision, the Government must fund autistic-led solutions, ensuring ‘nothing about us without us’ shapes policy.” Dr Lauren Powell and Jacob Lewis
The Committee recommends a move towards preventative, and lifespan-focused support. This includes urgent investment in assessment and post-diagnostic services, meaningful accountability for councils and the NHS, specialist training for public-facing workers. It credits the success of the Oliver McGowan Training to coproduction and delivery, but still many autistic people struggle to access healthcare.
“I have felt the need to leave a medical waiting room, to abandon my appointment entirely, just because the sensory environment became intolerable. That was despite knowing, as a doctor, that my appointment was to arrange investigations to rule out a malignancy.” Dr Mary Doherty, Founder of Autistic Doctors International
The Government must be clear on how it will ensure autistic people, their families, and carers are able to raise concerns about failures of services to keep people safe, and how those services will be held to account for failures. There needs to be a stronger focus on preventing injustice in mental health care.
“There was so much sensory overload. Unfamiliar sounds from other patients, staff, alarms going off, phones ringing, doors shutting, furniture being moved about, a TV on loud. The lights were bright. Lots more people in one space than I was comfortable with. All these things are so distressing for people with autism at any time and even more so when they are in such a dark place and in desperate need of gentle, understanding and empathetic medical care.” Anon
On education, the Committee reports that many autistic children feel unhappy at school or are out of school altogether. Narrow accountability measures focusing on behaviour and attainment can encourage schools to adopt exclusionary practices.
“My daughter’s education was repeatedly disrupted by a lack of understanding … because of how successfully she masked, at the cost of her mental health… Schools use behaviour systems that punish, create trauma responses and overload.” Anon
Whilst giving evidence to the Committee, Professor Sue Flecther Watson said that there needs to be “an emphasis within Ofsted evaluation criteria on schools meeting the needs of neurodivergent pupils”. Support falls away when autistic young people become adults. Services must be (co-)created to help autistic young people through this transition by bringing education, higher education, employment, housing, and mental health support together.
“At school and college, no one explained what would happen next or helped me prepare for further education, employment, or adult services.” Anon
The report concludes that employers need incentives to enable more autistic people to find, stay, and thrive in work. Voluntary accreditation schemes like Autistica’s Neurodiversity Employers Index should be promoted by the government.
“Doing a supported internship changed my life. I am now in sustainable employment and saving money to eventually buy my own first home, at the age of 23.” Tegan Mulbuy
Giving evidence, CRAE’s Professor Anna Remington proposed that the Government could extend the apprenticeship levy (or create an additional fund) to explicitly encourage businesses to spend on initiatives that support a neurodivergent or autistic workforce.
Turning to criminal justice the Committee asserts that autistic people are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrate it. Autistic victims are often disbelieved, overwhelmed, and can struggle to describe what happened in a ‘neat’ way. And though there is Registered Intermediary support, access is patchy across the UK. Report witnesses spoke to differences in behaviour being misinterpreted as non-compliance; or expressions of poor mental health or distress being seen as a threat.
“Our non-verbal daughter was handcuffed by police who, despite our explanation, misinterpreted her autism as drug use and took her off without support.” Anon
There are cracks in systems of support in the criminal justice system, there is some good practice, but initiatives are piecemeal and a coherent approach must be developed.
Fifteen years after the Autism Act, the report’s message is clear. Awareness alone does not create support. The UK’s next autism strategy (2026–2031) must be properly funded, designed with autistic people, and accountable to those it claims to serve. Only then can legislation move beyond promises and begin to secure genuine equality, dignity, and inclusion for autistic people across society.
CRAE extend their thanks for the incredible amount of work that CRAE’s Honorary Professor Laura Crane (formerly CRAE Deputy Director, now ACER’s Director at the University of Birmingham) has put in as the Committee’s Specialist Advisor. And we are proud to have had input into the committee’s work via both written and oral evidence submissions from Director, Professor Anna Remington, and the wider CRAE team that have been included in the report.