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The new council running all of North Yorkshire’s services is asking the public to help shape a new strategy to enable autistic people to enjoy fulfilling lives.

The new North Yorkshire Council is working with the Humber and North Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Boards to hold a series of engagement events for autistic people and parents or family carers to share their ideas and experiences – with Harrogate’s taking place on Thursday, April 27.

The aim of the strategy is to provide better support for autistic people, as well as changing the community’s understanding of the condition.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for health and adult services, Coun Michael Harrison, said: “Autistic people’s ideas and experiences will be at the heart of the new strategy.

Inclusion North are supporting engagement events across North Yorkshire to enable people to have their say on the county council's forthcoming new autism strategy.

"We want to make sure the right support is available at the right moments in their lives

“That is why we are so keen that people attend the engagement sessions and help us to ensure the new strategy is as thorough as it can possibly be.”

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.

Experts estimate more than one per cent of people are autistic.

As well as engagement events, there will also be a survey for people who prefer to take part that way to express their views.

Inclusion North, a not-for-profit organisation which works with the public sector, has been brought in to help with the work

Once the strategy has been adopted by North Yorkshire Council, it is expected to remain in place until 2026.

Key areas it will cover will including improving the understanding and acceptance of autism in society, creating better access to education and assisting young people’s transition to adulthood, supporting people into employment, tackling health and care inequalities, building better support in the community and the health service, and improved support in the criminal and youth justice systems.

To book a place at an engagement event, contact Inclusion North on 07960 388628 or 0113 2444792.

The survey is available from April 6 to May 31 at: www.nypartnerships.org.uk/autismstrategy.

Harrogate event will feed into new autism strategy to help people enjoy fulfilling lives in North Yorkshire