English: Can I thank Paul for bringing this forward? As chair of the cross-party autism group over many years, I know that this has been a primary call from the autism community at large. With huge numbers of people on the spectrum, their families, their carers and the professionals who work with them on the front line are calling for this in huge numbers. I recognise that autism is neither a learning difficulty nor a mental health issue, and therefore falls between the two stools. Currently, there's blurring around the edges in consequence of poor services too-often experienced. I also know, from my own casework and my work as chair of the cross-party autism group, and I suspect many millions of pounds are being wasted getting this wrong, with pressure on secondary and statutory services, which should not be there, when most of this could be dealt with through effective co-working, co-production, early intervention and prevention. We received a Welsh Local Government Association briefing ahead of this statement, which refers to the refreshed strategic action plan, believed to be the only strategy for autism spectrum disorder in the world, but that's something we also heard, for many years previously, after the initial autism strategy was launched. In fact, every time it was mentioned, that was the claim for credit, that it was the first, but we also know that the community told us it didn't benefit. When I led the debate, which this Assembly voted for, in January 2015, calling for an autism Act, when the meeting voted for it, I referred to the meeting of the cross-party group the previous November in which the people attending, representing communities from across the whole of Wales, as well as a large group of Assembly Members, voted unanimously in favour of calling for an autism Act. Do you therefore agree with me that the evidence we then heard confirms the need for underpinning legislation, where we heard from, for instance, Gwynedd and Anglesey, who told us that diagnosis was improving, but post-diagnostic support wasn't available, and that an autism Act was needed to safeguard and strengthen services and ensure consistency of support? We heard from Bridgend about the hope that followed the autism strategy, but how it hadn't achieved what it could have, and there was concern amongst local stakeholder groups in Bridgend about exactly where autism fitted in. When I led the debate here, which unfortunately the Government whipped their back benches to defeat, in October 2016, I also referred to evidence, for example, from Ystradgynlais, that people felt let down and angry that they'd had to fight so hard to get the support they need, and it was important that people with autism were no longer invisible to services; and, for example, from Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, that the strategy promised to deliver so much that people are being pushed into further crisis. So, again, do you confirm your shared view with me that boasting about being the first is not the measure of success? The measure of success is how this impacts on the lives of the people it's supposed to support. Do you agree that the need for this Bill and following Act is further emphasised by the judicial review proceedings relating to the failure to assess and then meet the needs of a young autistic adult in May of this year, which resulted in Flintshire County Council agreeing to provide a formal apology and make a damages award because of a failure to meet the requirements of Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act regulations and codes, and that it reinforces the need for specific autism legislation? Do you agree with me that a chart I've received from a group of parents of autistic children only yesterday, where high numbers of them identify school failure to identify a child's difficulties; health failure to identify a child's difficulties; agencies' culture of dismissing families, blaming, or threatening; no or inadequate liaison and joint working between statutory agencies; a family not informed of disabled children's right to advocacy by the local education authority - ? There are pages more of this, with numerous parents who found that they've shared identical experiences. They're parents primarily in Flintshire, but also in Denbighshire. I received that only yesterday. Do you agree that this e-mail I received from a parent in north Wales yesterday further confirms the need for an Act? 'I'm in the process of finishing up corrections of the assessment and care plan, drafted by social services for my child. My aim is to show that they've either grossly misheard or failed to make accurate notes of what I've told them, or out and out omitted information and details that I have notified them about.' I receive e-mails like that every single day.
Welsh: A gaf fi ddiolch i Paul am gyflwyno hyn? Fel Cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar awtistiaeth dros nifer o flynyddoedd, gwn fod hon wedi bod yn alwad sylfaenol gan y gymuned awtistiaeth yn gyffredinol. Gyda nifer fawr o bobl ar y sbectrwm, mae eu teuluoedd, eu gofalwyr a'r gweithwyr proffesiynol sy'n gweithio gyda hwy ar y rheng flaen yn galw am hyn mewn niferoedd enfawr. Rwy'n cydnabod nad yw awtistiaeth yn fater iechyd meddwl nac anhawster dysgu, ac felly mae'n disgyn rhwng y ddwy stôl. Ar hyn o bryd, mae pethau'n annelwig o gwmpas yr ymylon o ganlyniad i'r gwasanaethau gwael a brofir yn rhy aml. Gwn hefyd, o fy ngwaith achos fy hun a fy ngwaith fel cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar awtistiaeth, ac rwy'n tybio bod miliynau lawer o bunnoedd yn cael eu gwastraffu ar wneud hyn yn anghywir, gyda phwysau ar wasanaethau eilaidd a statudol na ddylai fod yno, pan ellid ymdrin â hyn drwy gydweithio effeithiol, cydgynhyrchu, ymyrraeth gynnar ac atal. Cawsom sesiwn friffio gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru cyn y datganiad hwn, sy'n cyfeirio at y cynllun gweithredu strategol newydd, a chredir mai dyma'r unig strategaeth ar gyfer anhwylderau sbectrwm awtistiaeth yn y byd, ond mae hynny'n rhywbeth a glywsom dros flynyddoedd lawer cyn hynny hefyd, ar ôl i'r strategaeth awtistiaeth gychwynnol gael ei lansio. Mewn gwirionedd, bob tro y câi ei chrybwyll, dyna oedd yr honiad, mai dyna oedd y strategaeth gyntaf, ond gwyddom hefyd fod y gymuned wedi dweud wrthym na chafodd fudd ohoni. Pan arweiniais y ddadl, y pleidleisiodd y Cynulliad hwn drosti, ym mis Ionawr 2015, yn galw am Ddeddf awtistiaeth pan bleidleisiodd y cyfarfod o'i phlaid, cyfeiriais at y cyfarfod o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol y mis Tachwedd blaenorol pan bleidleisiodd y bobl a'i mynychodd, a gynrychiolai gymunedau ledled Cymru gyfan, yn ogystal â grŵp mawr o Aelodau'r Cynulliad, yn unfrydol o blaid galw am Ddeddf awtistiaeth. A ydych yn cytuno â mi felly fod y dystiolaeth a glywsom wedyn yn cadarnhau'r angen am ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol, pan glywsom gan, er enghraifft, gan Wynedd ac Ynys Môn, a ddywedodd wrthym fod diagnosis yn gwella, ond nad oedd cefnogaeth ar ôl diagnosis ar gael, a bod angen Deddf awtistiaeth i ddiogelu ac atgyfnerthu gwasanaethau a sicrhau cysondeb yn y cymorth? Clywsom gan Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr am y gobaith a ddilynodd y strategaeth awtistiaeth, ond nad oedd wedi cyflawni'r hyn y gallai fod wedi'i gyflawni, a bod pryder ymysg grwpiau rhanddeiliaid lleol yn Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr ynglŷn â lle'n union roedd awtistiaeth yn ffitio i mewn. Pan arweiniais y ddadl yma ym mis Hydref 2016, gyda'r Llywodraeth, yn anffodus, yn chwipio ei meinciau cefn i'w threchu, cyfeiriais hefyd at dystiolaeth, er enghraifft, o Ystradgynlais, fod pobl yn teimlo'n siomedig ac yn ddig eu bod wedi gorfod ymladd mor galed i gael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt, ac roedd hi'n bwysig nad oedd pobl ag awtistiaeth yn anweledig i'r gwasanaethau mwyach; ac er enghraifft, o sir Gaerfyrddin a sir Benfro, fod y strategaeth yn addo cyflawni cymaint fel bod pobl yn cael eu gwthio i argyfwng pellach. Felly, unwaith eto, a ydych yn cytuno â mi nad yw brolio am fod y cyntaf yn fesur o lwyddiant? Mesur llwyddiant yw sut y mae hyn yn effeithio ar fywydau'r bobl y mae i fod i'w cefnogi. A ydych yn cytuno bod yr angen am y Bil hwn a'r Ddeddf i'w ganlyn yn cael ei bwysleisio ymhellach gan yr achos adolygiad barnwrol yn ymwneud â methiant i asesu a diwallu anghenion oedolyn awtistig ifanc ym mis Mai eleni, a arweiniodd at Gyngor Sir y Fflint yn cytuno i ddarparu ymddiheuriad ffurfiol a dyfarnu iawndal oherwydd methiant i fodloni gofynion rheoliadau a chodau Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru), a'i fod yn atgyfnerthu'r angen am ddeddfwriaeth awtistiaeth benodol? A ydych yn cytuno â mi bod siart a gefais gan grŵp o rieni plant awtistig ddoe ddiwethaf, lle mae niferoedd mawr ohonynt yn nodi methiant ysgolion i adnabod anawsterau plant; methiant iechyd i nodi anawsterau plant; diwylliant asiantaethau o ddiystyru teuluoedd, beio, neu fygwth; diffyg cysylltiad a chydweithio neu gysylltiad a chydweithio annigonol rhwng asiantaethau statudol; teulu nad yw wedi cael gwybod am hawl plant anabl i eiriolaeth gan awdurdod addysg lleol - ? Ceir tudalennau yn rhagor o hyn, gyda nifer o rieni a welodd eu bod yn rhannu profiadau sy'n union yr un fath. Rhieni yn sir y Fflint ydynt yn bennaf, ond hefyd yn sir Ddinbych. Cefais hwn ddoe. A ydych yn cytuno bod yr e-bost hwn a gefais gan riant yng ngogledd Cymru ddoe yn cadarnhau ymhellach yr angen am Ddeddf? Rwyf wrthi'n gorffen cywiriadau'r asesiad a'r cynllun gofal, a ddrafftiwyd gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ar gyfer fy mhlentyn. Fy nod yw dangos eu bod naill ai wedi camglywed yn ddybryd neu wedi methu gwneud nodiadau cywir o'r hyn rwyf wedi'i ddweud wrthynt, neu eu bod wedi hepgor gwybodaeth a manylion a roddais iddynt yn llwyr. Rwy'n cael negeseuon e-bost fel hyn bob dydd.