Tynwald should appoint an ’autism champion’ to oversee the implementation of a better system of support.

That’s one of a number of recommendations made by a select committee seeking to make improvements on the support services available for people with autism.

It also acknowledged that a blanket approach does not work and that ’support for people with autism must be bespoke to each service user’s individual strengths and needs’. A focus of that support should be to enable the user to achieve their aspirations and reduce their reliance on support.

There are 524 people formally diagnosed with autism in the Isle of Man - 0.62% of the populations.

Health chiefs are working on an ’autism pathway’ and the select committee said it must be a ’flexible framework around which bespoke care may be provided’.

As an extension of its findings, the select committee recommended an ’independent autism champion be appointed by Tynwald to oversee the implementation, operation and continued development of the autism pathway and to represent the interests of people with autism’.

The recommendations are contained within a report by a Tynwald select committee, chaired by Ayre and Michael MHK Tim Baker, which investigated the lack of accommodation for vulnerable young people. Part of its remit included looking at services for people with autism.

Other recommendations include that the Department of Health and Social Care should look into the option of setting up a ’community resource’ where people with autism can receive informal support and advice.

The committee said it was important to understand that a person with autism ’may have neither a learning disability nor an enduring severe mental illness and therefore may not fit within a conventional service line’.

It added: ’While autism is not a mental illness, if inadequately supported, people with autism are at risk of developing mental illnesses.’

The Manx Government commissions £3 million of annual services from the charity Autism Initiatives. In the Isle of Man, its 110-strong staff provide support for up to 100 people, including 12 in residential care across seven houses.

The charity also oversees five single-occupancy supported cottages, operates an outreach service for about 45 adults and 10 children, and 19 adults attend its two day centres.

The committee said that accommodation for people should be provided where a need was identified and in a suitable property, adapted to their needs, with other support continuing.

’Housing for autistic people should be located within the community, chosen with regard to the tenants’ wants, needs and aspirations, and adapted as necessary to better support tenants.’

Aside from looking at the autism situation specifically, the select committee also examined what accommodation was available for young adults leaving the care system and heard damning evidence about the situation some found themselves in.

The report will be laid before next week’s Tynwald setting, but is not due to be debated yet.