DOZENS of people with autism in Herefordshire say they are victims of hate crime or have suffered from bullying, according to a council report.

A survey run by volunteers of the local National Autistic Society branch was presented to Herefordshire Council’s children and young people committee this week.

The committee is launching a three-year strategy to raise awareness about autism and improve access to education, transport, high quality housing and jobs for people with the condition.

Speaking at the meeting Debbie Hobbs, local NAS branch chairman, said her organisation receives phone calls every day about the problems faced by people with autism.

She said: “The local branch was set up three years ago and currently has 400 members made up mainly of families with autistic children.

“We get phone calls from people every single day telling us things go wrong.”

Just under half of those who took part in the survey felt unsafe when out an about and around two thirds said that they had been victim of hate crimes and/or bullying.

One of the respondents said: “I was unaware, until recently, that being abused was not right.”

Most comments mentioned the problems autistic people have in getting out in a busy, noisy environment and how this can often lead younger people to ‘meltdown’.

One said: “I rarely leave my home as the outside world frightens me.”

“We would struggle to be in town as my daughter would seriously have a meltdown if she saw someone looking at her wrongly,” another said.

Around 2,000 adults are autistic in Herefordshire and, as of spring last year, there were 201 children diagnosed with autism in the local school system.

Councillor Alan Seldon told the committee society had come a long way in raising awareness about autism since he was at school.

Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst, cabinet member for young people and children’s wellbeing, agreed but stressed it was important to improve adult diagnosis of the condition.

She said: “I share the concerns over diagnosis in my age group and it’s really important to take the opportunities to make sure that contact does count.

“It is a problem and we are aware of it.”

The committee will also ask planning officers to work with developers to design homes that are autism friendly.