Sam is 16-years-old and he has severe learning difficulties and autism and the combination of both means he has to have a lot of care

Non Jenkins, Sam's mother

Autism is a developmental disability which leaves sufferers - the majority of them male - unable to communicate properly or form relationships.

In severe cases, people are unable to use words to communicate.

There are have been concerns that the MMR vaccine given to young children may cause autism, but research into this theory is still taking place.

The National Autistic Society's figures show that only 12% who are able to work do so , and a third of people with autism are not involved in any social activities whatsoever.

Non and John Jenkins, from Aberystwyth, are concerned about what will happen to their son Sam, who goes to a boarding school in Bridgend, 100 miles from home.

'Quite worrying'

Mrs Jenkins said: "Sam is 16-years-old and he has severe learning difficulties and autism and the combination of both means he has to have a lot of care.

"He has one word - 'eto' - which means 'again' in Welsh. It is like having a large baby at times."

Mr Jenkins added: "He is getting bigger, we are getting older as a family and it is quite a worry envisaging what will happen when we are in our 60s and beyond."

Delyth Turner, the Society's worker in Wales, said the assembly needed accurate figures - particularly if it was to provide adequate services for adults.

If we can give them a purpose to life and a and a sense of achievement and structured routine to the week, it does help them

Neil James, training supervisor

"Many people are living at home well into adulthood, many are unemployed and find it difficult to find and keep a job and sadly, few of them have many friends or any at all," she said.

"What we are asking the assembly is to develop policies and support parents and local authorities to provide services.

"The buzz words at the moment are 'joined up working'. In reality at the moment, this is not happening."

The society runs two specialised centres, at Neath and Newport, where adults with autism can work and be cared for.

But parents are calling for many more local services to be established, especially in rural West and north Wales.

At Neath, training supervisor Neil James helps to run a gardening project and he believes the scheme does help.

"If we can give them a purpose to life and a and a sense of achievement and structured routine to the week, it does help them to learn and eases confusion and frustration," said Mr James.