The autism strategy aims to ensure that mainstream public services become more inclusive of people with autism. This will mean ensuring that individuals’ needs—including mental health needs—are assessed and that people with autism get the right kind of support to address their assessed needs.
The delivery plan, scheduled for publication in March 2010, will set out in more detail the timescale for delivery in the first year. Further delivery plans will be prepared for the second and third years of the strategy.
The NHS Information Centre (IC) issued invitations to tender to short list potential providers, to deliver much clearer information on the prevalence of autism in the population.
The procurement exercise is now nearing its conclusion and the NHS IC is looking to award the contract by the end of the month. The Department hopes to publish the findings in spring 2011.
The delivery plan, scheduled for publication in March 2010, will set out in more detail the timescale for delivery in the first year. Further delivery plans will be prepared for the second and third years of the strategy.