NAS Cymru publishes a guide to help Welsh politicians understand and represent Autistic people

The National Autistic Society’s Welsh arm, NAS Cymru, has published “Understanding Autism: A guide for Members of the Senedd and Councillors”. It is aimed at elected representatives in Wales and people standing for election, and is available in English and Welsh.

What the guide covers

The guide explains what autism is and the barriers Autistic people face, and asks politicians to join the Senedd’s Cross-Party Autism Group, for which NAS Cymru provides the secretariat.

It gives practical advice on communication: avoid metaphors and open-ended questions, help people prepare for meetings, and follow through on commitments. It recommends the term “Autistic people”, while checking how each person describes themselves.

There is a section on making constituency surgeries autism-friendly: giving information about the venue in advance, allowing time to process, adjusting lighting and noise, and sticking to plans.

Challenging misinformation

The guide also asks politicians to tackle misinformation and harmful narratives about autism. It sets out five steps: consider the language, check the source, check the facts, counter false narratives, and report misinformation. It states that autism is not caused by vaccines or paracetamol, says there is no evidence of “overdiagnosis”, and challenges biased claims about benefits. On Personal Independence Payment, it says that of £28.5bn awarded in 2025-26, just 1.4% was overpaid because of fraud.

The figures

The guide puts the number of Autistic people in Wales at at least 31,000, and in the UK at at least 700,000. It says only 30% of Autistic people are in any form of employment, and that 80% of Autistic adults in the UK report difficulty visiting a GP.

The guide also sets out NAS Cymru’s campaign, launched in January 2026, for an autism and learning disability act for Wales.

Our view

Politicians shape the services Autistic people rely on, and the stories told about them in public debate. A plain, practical guide like this one asks elected representatives to do two simple things: make themselves accessible to Autistic constituents, and stop repeating myths about them. Both are overdue.

This piece summarises the National Autistic Society’s announcement and the guide itself. Read the original guide for the full detail.