Cap. 557 Art. 10Functions of the Council.

(1) The Council shall act in an advisory capacity to the Minister and shall perform the following functions:

(a) prepare and submit to the Minister for his approval an Autism Support State Plan, as referred to in article 11 within one year of the Council’s appointment;

(b) review, monitor and update at regular intervals or at such intervals as the Minister may prescribe, the Autism Support State Plan;

(c) advise the Minister on the implementation of the Autism Support State Plan;

(d) assist the Government to achieve the purposes of this Act;

(e) collect appropriate, anonymous and aggregated information on the collective population of persons within the autism spectrum, including statistics and research data;

(f) give advice on:

(i) the promotion of vocational training, when required, and skills development programmes for persons within the autism spectrum;

(ii) the enabling of persons within the autism spectrum to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community;

(iii) the promotion of self-determination of persons within the autism spectrum;

(iv) the enhancement of access to appropriate support services and equal opportunities for inclusion and participation in society by providing, as appropriate, training to public administrators, service providers, educators, carers, caregivers, families, professionals and addressing the autism spectrum;

(g) propose training for parents and other persons who work with persons within the autism spectrum;

(h) create awareness raising initiatives for the general public inter alia to achieve autism acceptance within society;

(i) promote coordinated research regarding the identification and cause for the significant increase in children identified within the autism spectrum through a person-centred diagnostic approach;

(j) focus on the need to improve identification of undiagnosed adults within the autism spectrum through a person-centre diagnostic approach, addressing also the topic of autism and ageing; and

(k) carry out such other functions as the Minister may prescribe.

(2) In carrying out its functions under the provisions of this article, the Council shall aim to achieve the following objectives:

(a) to empower persons within the autism spectrum by providing for their health, education, well-being and participation in all aspects of society and the betterment of their living conditions;

(b) to promote self-determination amongst persons within the autism spectrum;

(c) to maximize the potential for children and adults within the autism spectrum through their personal autonomy and active citizenship;

(d) to encourage early identification of children within the autism spectrum in order to provide appropriate early intervention services for children to achieve optimal participation in their home, school and locality;

(e) to give advice on effectively coordinating governmental and non-governmental human resources needed to provide early identification and evidence-based support required to ensure that persons within the autism spectrum reach their optimum potential; and

(f) to identify the socio-economic, psycho-educational and health needs of persons within the autism spectrum with a view for Government to address these needs.