Petition · past parliament
Remove Autism from the definition of Mental Disorder in the Mental Health Act
Closed
2,657 signatures
What the petition asks
Autism is a lifelong disability, not a mental health problem. Yet autism is defined as a ‘mental disorder’ under the Mental Health Act. This means that autistic people and people with a learning disability can be detained when they do not have a treatable mental health illness.
Timeline
| 14 Jun 2019 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 6 Nov 2019 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
2,657
Status
Closed
Opened
14 Jun 2019
Closed
6 Nov 2019
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.