Support for conditions including autism and ADHD should be offered on a “needs-led” basis rather than forcing families to wait for a formal diagnosis, a report led by former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield’s new think tank says.
The report, published by the Child of the North initiative - led by the N8 Research Partnership of Northern universities and Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives - reveals a “crisis” in children’s autism assessment, warning that thousands of autistic children and young people are waiting months - or even years - for health and education support.
It describes how “most parents are being left to navigate a complex support system for their autistic child that is hampered by processing delays and waiting lists”.
It highlights how since Covid-19 there has been a 306 per cent increase in the number of children waiting for an autism assessment, adding that just one in 10 children are receiving an appointment within 13 weeks of being referred, while more than one in four parents have waited more than three years to receive support for their child.
