English: Mark Isherwood opened this debate with a compelling and comprehensive case for this Bill, and I've been rather taken aback by some of the interventions by Labour AMs. I think I am right in saying that Lee Waters and I first met in a hustings in Llanelli organised by the National Autistic Society. I know him to be, of course, a very humane person. All I would say to him is: don't make the best the enemy of the good. We need action now. There's been talk for far too long. Let's put some flesh and blood on the intellectual arguments that have been advanced today from all parties. I have a constituent who has written to me with two children with autism. She says that the journey through the various systems in place has been very different despite them both being on the autistic spectrum. She says: 'My son was diagnosed fairly early in life, just after his third birthday. He was given a statement and awarded a support worker for two and a half hours a week, increased to four hours in holiday periods. We were awarded 24 days a year respite, after an almighty battle, but only at a time convenient to the service provider, not to us as a family. My daughter wasn't diagnosed until much later in life, at seven and a half. I had to take the local authority to a tribunal before they would carry out a statutory assessment of her educational needs, even though by this time she had been diagnosed with Asperger's. A battle also ensued over support worker provision, and eventually she was awarded two hours a week, with no increase in holiday time. Another battle, and it was eventually upped to two and a half hours. Despite repeated requests, my daughter has not had any nights of respite provision awarded, ever. Currently, I am awaiting a carer's assessment, but it is 12 months overdue. I am also awaiting news on whether we can attend some family therapy sessions, as my daughter has recently revealed that she doesn't feel male or female and would therefore prefer to be addressed solely in gender-neutral terms. This has resulted in various bouts of self-harm, including head-banging, biting her arms and scratching her face. Thankfully, as yet, there have been no cutting incidents, and I fervently hope there never will be. People talk about postcode lotteries when it comes to the availability of services, but there is also a diagnosis lottery at work. We need this Act to sort autism out in Wales.' I've got another constituent who has also written to me in very emotional terms, but this is her daily life. I won't read all the letter. In talking about her son, she says: 'He has attended an additional learning needs unit in his school for over two years, attending in the morning and attending mainstream class in the afternoon. This ensures that he has help to concentrate on lessons and not be distracted by others or distract others himself, and that he integrates also into class and mixes with his peers.' She says: 'I found out yesterday, without discussion with his parents, he now attends the unit all day, and I'm awaiting an explanation for this. Whilst it will undoubtedly improve his attention, I worry he is missing out by not mixing with his classmates. He's currently not diagnosed. The health board are of the opinion that he makes good eye contact and is sociable. These are just two markers in a very wide spectrum. Why should my boy suffer without the correct methods to help him? I worry that now he is in year 4, it's not long until he starts comprehensive school. With an apparent lack of cohesion between the education and health department, combined with an obvious lack of understanding of the condition, how many children will be failed and destined to live a life where they are unable to fulfil their full potential? He may not grow up to rule the world, but he's my world, and there should be no obstacles in his way to stop him reaching for the stars.' She says, 'Many with autism don't have a voice or have obstacles in their way that prevent that voice being heard. Please stand up and be heard. Be their voice; the voice of the future.' That is the opportunity that we have today and, yes, I understand the intellectual arguments that we've heard from Labour AMs, but what we need is action. We need now to act on this, not to spend another 20 years talking about whether we could improve upon what is being put forward today. If you think you've got a better way, put it forward. If you haven't got one, then let us vote for this Bill.
Welsh: Agorodd Mark Isherwood y ddadl gydag achos cryf a chynhwysfawr dros y Bil hwn, ac rwyf wedi fy synnu gan rai o'r ymyriadau gan Aelodau Cynulliad Llafur. Rwy'n credu fy mod yn iawn yn dweud fy mod wedi cyfarfod â Lee Waters am y tro cyntaf mewn hustyngau yn Llanelli a drefnwyd gan y Gymdeithas Awtistiaeth Genedlaethol. Rwy'n gwybod ei fod, wrth gwrs, yn berson dyngarol iawn. Y cyfan y byddwn yn ei ddweud wrtho yw: peidiwch â gwneud y gorau yn elyn i'r da. Mae angen gweithredu yn awr. Rydym wedi bod yn siarad ers llawer gormod o amser. Gadewch i ni roi rhywfaint o gig a gwaed ar y dadleuon deallusol a gyflwynwyd heddiw gan bob plaid. Mae gan etholwraig a ysgrifennodd ataf ddau o blant ag awtistiaeth. Mae hi'n dweud bod y daith drwy'r systemau amrywiol sydd ar waith wedi bod yn wahanol iawn er gwaethaf y ffaith eu bod ill dau ar y sbectrwm awtistig. Mae hi'n dweud: Cafodd fy mab ddiagnosis yn weddol gynnar mewn bywyd, yn fuan ar ôl ei drydydd pen-blwydd. Cafodd ddatganiad a dyfarnwyd gweithiwr cymorth iddo am ddwy awr a hanner yr wythnos, a oedd yn cynyddu i bedair awr dros y gwyliau. Cawsom 24 diwrnod o gymorth seibiant y flwyddyn, ar ôl brwydr aruthrol, ond ar adeg a oedd yn gyfleus i'r darparwr gwasanaeth, nid i ni fel teulu. Ni chafodd fy merch ei diagnosis nes yn ddiweddarach iawn yn ei bywyd, pan oedd yn saith a hanner. Bu'n rhaid i mi fynd â'r awdurdod lleol i dribiwnlys cyn iddynt gynnal asesiad statudol o'i hanghenion addysgol, er ei bod erbyn hynny wedi cael diagnosis o syndrom Asperger. Dilynwyd hynny hefyd gan frwydr dros ddarpariaeth gweithiwr cymorth, ac yn y diwedd dyfarnwyd dwy awr yr wythnos iddi, heb unrhyw gynnydd ar adeg gwyliau. Brwydr arall, a chafodd ei gynyddu yn y pen draw i ddwy awr a hanner. Er fy mod wedi gofyn sawl gwaith, ni ddyfarnwyd unrhyw nosweithiau cymorth seibiant i fy merch erioed. Ar hyn o bryd, rwy'n aros am asesiad gofalwr, ond mae hwnnw 12 mis yn hwyr. Rwyf hefyd yn aros i gael gwybod a fyddwn yn cael mynychu sesiynau therapi teuluol am fod fy merch wedi datgelu'n ddiweddar nad yw'n teimlo fel gwryw na benyw ac felly byddai'n well ganddi pe bai pawb yn cyfeirio ati mewn modd niwtral o ran rhywedd. Mae hyn wedi arwain at nifer o byliau o hunan-niweidio, gan gynnwys taro ei phen, brathu ei breichiau a chrafu ei hwyneb. Diolch byth, hyd yn hyn, nid oes unrhyw ddigwyddiadau torri wedi bod, ac rwy'n mawr obeithio na fydd byth. Mae pobl yn sôn am loteri cod post o ran pa wasanaethau sydd ar gael, ond mae yna hefyd loteri diagnosis ar waith. Mae arnom angen y Ddeddf hon i roi trefn ar fater awtistiaeth yng Nghymru. Mae gennyf etholwraig arall sydd hefyd wedi ysgrifennu ataf mewn ffordd emosiynol iawn, ond dyma yw ei bywyd bob dydd. Nid wyf am ddarllen y llythyr i gyd. Wrth siarad am ei mab, mae'n dweud: Mae wedi mynychu uned anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn ei ysgol ers dros ddwy flynedd, gan fynychu yn y bore a mynychu dosbarth prif ffrwd yn y prynhawn. Mae hyn yn sicrhau ei fod yn cael cymorth i ganolbwyntio ar wersi ac nad yw eraill yn tynnu ei sylw ef nac yntau'n tynnu sylw eraill, a'i fod hefyd yn integreiddio i'r dosbarth ac yn cymysgu gyda'i gyfoedion. Mae hi'n dweud: Cefais wybod ddoe, heb drafodaeth gyda'i rieni, ei fod bellach yn mynychu'r uned drwy'r dydd, ac rwy'n aros am eglurhad am hyn. Er y bydd yn sicr yn gwella ei sylw, rwy'n poeni ei fod yn colli'r cyfle i gymysgu gyda'i gyd-ddisgyblion. Nid yw wedi cael diagnosis ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r bwrdd iechyd o'r farn ei fod yn gwneud cyswllt llygad da a'i fod yn gymdeithasol. Dau farciwr yn unig yw'r rhain mewn sbectrwm eang iawn. Pam y dylai fy machgen ddioddef heb y dulliau cywir i'w helpu? Rwy'n poeni gan ei fod bellach ym mlwyddyn 4 nad oes llawer o amser nes y bydd yn dechrau yn yr ysgol gyfun. Gyda diffyg cydgysylltiad ymddangosiadol rhwng yr adran addysg a'r adran iechyd, ynghyd â diffyg dealltwriaeth amlwg o'r cyflwr, faint o blant sy'n mynd i gael cam a gorfod byw bywyd lle nad ydynt yn gallu cyflawni eu potensial llawn? Efallai na fydd yn tyfu fyny i reoli'r byd, ond ef yw fy myd i, ac ni ddylai unrhyw beth ei rwystro rhag estyn am y sêr. Mae'n dweud, Nid oes llais gan lawer o unigolion sydd ag awtistiaeth neu mae rhwystrau yn eu ffordd sy'n atal y llais hwnnw rhag cael ei glywed. Os gwelwch yn dda, sefwch drostynt a sicrhau eich bod yn cael eich clywed. Byddwch yn llais iddynt; llais y dyfodol. Dyna'r cyfle sydd gennym heddiw ac ydw, rwy'n deall y dadleuon deallusol rydym wedi eu clywed gan Aelodau Cynulliad Llafur, ond yr hyn rydym ei angen yw gweithredu. Mae angen i ni weithredu ar hyn yn awr, nid treulio 20 mlynedd arall yn siarad am y posibilrwydd o wella'r hyn a gyflwynir heddiw. Os credwch fod gennych ffordd well, yna cyflwynwch honno. Os nad oes gennych ffordd well, yna gadewch i ni bleidleisio dros y Bil hwn.