ROYSTON MP Oliver Heald has criticised the lack of support provided for people affected by autism. Mr Heald was speaking on World Autism Awareness Day, which took place last Thursday. He said: Autism is much more common than many people realise, affectin

ROYSTON MP Oliver Heald has criticised the lack of support provided for people affected by autism.

Mr Heald was speaking on World Autism Awareness Day, which took place last Thursday.

He said: "Autism is much more common than many people realise, affecting over 500,000 people in the UK, yet despite the scale of the need, autism receives nowhere near the attention it deserves.

"The lack of understanding, support and services available for people affected by autism can have a devastating impact. The right help at the right time can transform lives."

Organised by the United Nations and with the theme of "Stand Up for Autism", World Autism Awareness Day brings together autism organisations all around the world and gives a voice to the millions of individuals who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help.

Last month Mr Heald voted in favour of the Autism Bill, which aims to put an end to the "post code lottery" surrounding the kind of treatment and support provided for those with autistic spectrum disorders.