A National Autism Strategy will be drawn up by next year, Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Active Ageing Anthony Agius Decelis said on Monday.

He was speaking during the launch of the National Autism Council, which will be tasked with drafting the strategy.

But it will take another four years for the strategy to be implemented, council chairman Alistair de Gaetano said.

The launch was held at the Palazzo Ferrerio during World Autism Day.

The strategy will focus on empowering the autistic community and will look into areas such as health and education, Dr de Gaetano added.

Insisting that the council does not simply want to pay “lip-service” to the autistic community, Dr de Gaetano said that the strategy will focus on creating a more autonomous autistic individual.

We need to ensure that the strategy we implement includes everyone - including parents, teachers and children, Dr Decelis said during the launch.

The council will also be tasked with research and monitoring policies, apart from drafting the National Strategy, Dr Decelis added.

“We need to use our limited resources as best as possible,” Dr Decelis said. “For instance, we need to understand why our children are being disruptive in class and not anywhere else - is there something we need to change in our classrooms?”

Tasked with advising the government on bills and policies, the council will also create intervention strategies related to improving the skills and autonomy of autistic people.

The council will also focus on family engagement and involvement, Dr de Gaetano said. “It’s useless focusing on a national strategy if the status quo remains the same,” he said.

Made up of 12 members, the council has 8 ex-officio members and 4 representatives from NGOs and other sectors.