Extra £7m pledged for all-Wales autism service

An extra £7m has been pledged for a national autism service in Wales, bringing funding to £13m until 2021.

It will provide adult diagnostic services, support for families and carers, help with transition from child to adult provision and training.

Wales is the first part of the UK to create a national service providing lifetime support to children and adults with autism and their families.

The announcement was made at the beginning of Autism Awareness Week.

Social Services and Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said: "It will help ensure people receive consistent services and get the right support, at the right time, wherever they live in Wales."

It will also help deliver the Welsh Government's Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) action plan, promoting understanding and acceptance of autism.