AN MP has praised a new national funding project to help people who have autism.

Maria Caulfield has welcomed the government's new national autism strategy - the first to include children.

The Conservative MP for Lewes was part of a group that made a number of key recommendations to the government.

The new strategy includes more training for teachers, a new anti-bullying programme in schools, and making sure autistic young people can find supported internships and apprenticeships.

The Argus: Maria Caufield MP at a previous launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism’s report into autism Maria Caufield MP at a previous launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism’s report into autism

The strategy published today promises to:

• Invest £10.5 million into finding new ways to reduce diagnosis waiting times for children and young people

• Invest £2.5 million to improve the quality of adult diagnostic and post-diagnostic pathways and diagnosis waiting times

• Increase public understanding of autism with a long-term, nationwide initiative

• Provide £18.5 million to prevent autistic people from falling into a mental health crisis and £21 million to local authorities to help people in mental health hospitals back into the community

• Improve understanding by training education professionals, job centre staff and frontline staff in the justice system

Ms Caulfield, part of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, campaigned with The National Autistic Society for the strategy to include children and young people.

She said the new guidelines were a huge win for the thousands of families with children on the autistic spectrum.

She said: "I am proud that the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism and The National Autistic Society has brought about this significant national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults.

"Not only is it the first to consider children, but it is also backed with more funding than ever before, with £75 million towards the first year.

"This funding will be put towards developing a public understanding campaign, reducing diagnosis waiting times and increasing crisis support in the community, among other things.

"I will continue to ensure that the objectives of the strategy are met and will be speaking with ministers to ensure that the spending review includes further funding for the later years of the strategy."

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