I think that it is deeply unfair to come on this board and say that the attitude here is 'it's not for children so why should we care'. My attitude is that this is a small step in the right direction but it is only that. I shan't be celebrating tonight.
It is not a question of adults versus children - children grow up to be adults after all . However, the reality is that unless we tackle this issue with the provision of proper expert services for children, we are shutting the gate after the horse has bolted by counting the number of autistic adults and providing paper strategies for their support.
I understand that small steps start somewhere and that this is the easier end of things to tackle politically. This is undoubtedly why consensus was so easily and readily obtained. But politicians rarely agree on issues which have major resource implications and my concern would be that the statutory obligations imposed are wide and may amount to very little in practice.
I think similar issues arise in relation to statutory duties on equality issues generally and the new Equalities Bill.
It is to be welcomed and applauded but the sad reality is that unless more experts are trained, unless provision is made more consistent nationally, unless there is a greater awareness of the issues regarding ASD, unless services are more available and accessible to children from a young age than we waste opportunities for early intervention and may fail children as they are placed in a school and health system which, at present, cannot pick up and address these issues effectively.
That is why, to me at least, the focus, seems wrong.