English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I congratulate the Member for bringing this legislation before us. We as a party have believed for some time that an autism Act could provide wide-ranging benefits for those people living with autism, certainly in terms of encouraging swift diagnosis, tackling things such as waiting times, and also providing consistency across Wales. I am also very aware that there are stakeholders who have their doubts about the value of legislation. I regularly hear what the Government says. I hear those people say, 'Well, be guarded about going down this route. There will be people with other conditions who will then want specific legislation for themselves too.' But I do look forward to seeing the work that the committee will do in this area. I would like to know - and I will focus only on this point - what the Member's view is on one issue that I do think needs to be challenged, namely, this idea of autism as an illness or a condition - the medical model of autism, if you like. How does he think that legislation could change and challenge that perception? Because that perception of autism misses the point rather, in my view. I think we should perhaps be thinking far more in terms of neurodiversity. We should see autism, Asperger's and so on as different ways in which the brain works. There are plenty of examples of how organisations or companies see particular characteristics, positive characteristics, in people whose brains work in a different way. GCHQ has been recruiting people who are not neurotypical because they analyse data in a different way. I do think that legislation could assist to change attitudes in a positive way. There will be some on the spectrum who will be considered to have a disability and will be receiving support in those circumstances, but I think what we need to do is to recognise these characteristics and I think legislation can be useful in that area. There will be some people on the spectrum, having been identified as having a disability, who will be supported through equalities legislation. But, if we were to think differently and to consider neurodiversity as a particular characteristic within the equalities sphere, then that could also be positive in terms of changing how services are planned and how services are delivered. And I'm not convinced that the social services Act and the additional learning needs Act are sufficient in themselves to change the way we think about ASD in Wales. So, I do hope that the Committee Stage will look at that area, and I would be grateful to hear the Member's view on the potential for this legislation to deliver this.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rydw i'n llongyfarch yr Aelod am ddod â'r ddeddfwriaeth yma ger ein bron ni. Rydym ni fel plaid wedi credu ers amser y gallai Deddf awtistiaeth gynnig budd eang i bobl sydd yn byw efo awtistiaeth, yn sicr o ran annog diagnosis, taclo materion fel amseroedd aros, ac, rydw i'n meddwl, delifro cysondeb hefyd ar draws Cymru. Rydw i'n ymwybodol hefyd fod yna randdeiliaid sydd ag amheuon am werth deddfwriaeth. Rydw i'n clywed yn gyson beth mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei ddweud. Rydw i'n clywed y bobl sydd yn dweud, 'Watsiwch chi fynd lawr y ffordd yma. Bydd yna bobl eraill efo salwch eraill neu gyflyrau eraill am gael deddfwriaeth benodol ar eu cyfer nhw.' Ond rydw i'n edrych ymlaen at weld y gwaith y mae'r pwyllgor yn ei wneud yn y maes yma. Mi fyddwn i'n licio gwybod - a gwnaf ganolbwyntio dim ond ar y pwynt yma - beth ydy barn yr Aelod am un mater, rydw i'n meddwl, sydd angen ei herio, sef y syniad yma o awtistiaeth fel salwch neu gyflwr gan rai - y model meddygol, os liciwch chi. Sut mae o'n meddwl y gallai deddfwriaeth newid a herio'r canfyddiad hwnnw? Achos mae'r canfyddiad yna o awtistiaeth yn methu'r pwynt braidd, rydw i'n meddwl. Rydw i'n meddwl y dylem ni o bosibl fod yn meddwl llawer mwy yn nhermau niwro-amrywiaeth; hynny ydy, dylem ni weld awtistiaeth, Asperger's ac ati fel ffyrdd gwahanol mae'r ymennydd yn gweithio. Mae yna ddigon o enghreifftiau erbyn hyn o sut mae sefydliadau neu gwmnïau yn gweld nodweddion arbennig, nodweddion positif, mewn pobl sydd â'u hymenyddion yn gweithio mewn ffordd wahanol. Mae GCHQ wedi bod yn recriwtio pobl sydd ddim yn neurotypical oherwydd eu bod nhw'n dadansoddi data mewn ffordd wahanol. Rydw i'n meddwl y gallai deddfwriaeth helpu i newid agweddau mewn ffordd bositif. Mi fydd rhai ar y sbectrwm yn cael eu hystyried i fod ag anabledd yn barod, ac yn cael cefnogaeth yn hynny o beth, ond beth rydym ni ei angen, rydw i'n meddwl, ydy cydnabod nodweddion ac rydw i'n meddwl y gallai deddfwriaeth fod yn ddefnyddiol. Mi fydd rhai pobl ar y sbectrwm, drwy gael eu cydnabod fel bod ag anabledd, yn cael cefnogaeth drwy ddeddfwriaeth cydraddoldeb. Ond, pe baem ni'n meddwl yn wahanol, ac yn ystyried niwro-amrywiaeth fel nodwedd benodol a neilltuol o fewn y maes cydraddoldeb, mi allai hynny fod yn bositif er mwyn newid y ffordd mae gwasanaethau'n cael eu cynllunio a'r ffordd mae gwasanaethau'n cael eu delifro. Ac nid wyf yn argyhoeddedig bod y Ddeddf gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a'r Ddeddf anghenion dysgu ynddyn nhw eu hunain yn ddigon i newid y ffordd rydym ni'n meddwl am ASD yng Nghymru. Felly, rydw i'n gobeithio y bydd y broses bwyllgor yn edrych ar y maes hwnnw ac mi fyddai'n dda gen i glywed barn yr Aelod ar y potensial i'r ddeddfwriaeth wneud hyn.