Around 1 in every 33 people in the UK is autistic, which equates to approximately one million people. Yet, 15 years after the introduction of the Autism Act (2009 ), autistic people still face significant disadvantages in society. Many don’t receive the support they need – and are entitled to - which leads to devastating consequences, including:

· High suicide rates – Autistic people are at least seven times more likely to die by suicide than non-autistic people.

· Reduced life expectancy – Autistic adults die more than 16 years younger than non-autistic adults; this gap increases to 30 years for autistic people with a learning disability.

· Poor mental health – 80% of autistic people suffer from mental health problems including severe anxiety and depression. This compares to 25% of the general population.

· Diagnosis delays – More than 254,000 people are on waiting lists for autism assessments in England alone despite the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) target of 91 days. Anecdotally, we know thousands of children, young people and adults have waited years for assessment.

· Lack of support following diagnosis - Just 4% of autistic adults and families of autistic children say that they were well supported in the 12 months following diagnosis.

· Lack of appropriate educational opportunities – 74% of parents say their child’s school does not meet their needs. This figure has doubled since 2017.

· Unemployment - Just 30% of autistic people of working age are in employment meaning the majority are living below the poverty line.

· Hate crime – The Office of National Statistics estimates that 70,000 disability hate crimes occur every year and that people with autism and/ or a learning disability are 4 times more likely to be a victim of hate crime than the general population.

· Misrepresentation within the criminal justice system – A study by the University of Cambridge found that only 52% of autistic people involved in recent cases were considered to be vulnerable adults by the police, despite the law viewing them as such. 38% were given reasonable adjustments and 35% were allocated an appropriate adult.

· Isolation and lack of opportunity to engage – Physical activity is well recognised as a mechanism for improving mental health and wellbeing, but large numbers of autistic people face barriers to participation in sport and leisure activities.

Thousands are being let down and as a consequence are suffering poor mental health, isolation, poverty, and many are tragically taking their own lives.

Autism Action exists to change this and we won't stop until autistic people are able to live the lives they deserve, free from hardship, discrimination and isolation.