Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw has welcomed the opening of the new Centre for Autism in Carryduff. The facility will offer specific rooms to help with everything from general wellbeing to training.

Attending the opening, the South Belfast MLA stated: “The long awaited opening of the new Centre for Autism here in Carryduff is a tribute to the fundraising work of the National Autistic Society, and to the awareness raising carried out by so many people and charities.

“This will be a unique facility, designed specifically with the needs and interests of people affected by autism in mind. Until today, we had been without specific day provision in Northern Ireland.

“This is a significant breakthrough but there is still a distance to go. There remain significant difficulties with getting diagnoses, with receiving appropriate support in the education system, and elsewhere. This Centre will also be part of the awareness-raising process as we try to ensure people with autism are better catered for across all public services and in daily life generally.”