Dr. Pat Matthews:

The Deputy could make them but autism in itself is not a disability. In the UK now, they refer to it not as a disability but as a condition. In many countries, it is not classified as a disability. The term "neurodiverse" is coming in. The affected people are neurodiverse; they are not neurotypical like the rest of us. The diversity comes within the mind and in the processing of information, and also with the sensory problems autistic people have. What they touch, see and feel depends on neurotransmitters transmitting messages to the brain, such as on the question of whether something is hot or cold. Many people with autism have problems in this area. They have sensitivity problems. What do they see? What colours do they see? We know that many children with autism are afraid of certain colours – red, for instance. This usually does not happen in the field of disability. This is much more complex.

On sensory problems, teachers report to us that a child may be distracted because he or she hears the electricity going through the plug in the wall. The air conditioning can cause problems, as can flickering and fluorescent lights. All these kinds of things distract a child. Without all these complexities, I would not expect the disability movement to be able to cope, unless it is to be doubled in size and funded and autism provision is built in. If the Government wants to do that, that is fine, but it will be much more complex to manage and handle.