Thousands of autistic children and young people are waiting months - or even years - for health and eduction support, a new report has revealed.
Parents are instead being left to navigate a complex support system which is made worse by processing delays and waiting as the number of children accessing autism services hits at a record high.
The report by the Child of the North initiative led by the N8 research partnership and the Centre for Young Lives think tank has now called for a 'needs-led' approach instead of relying on a ‘diagnosis-led’ system.
This, it says, will lead to early identification becoming the norm, and faster effective support offered without relying on a diagnosis.
One parent, seeking an assessment for her child, told the report’s authors, trying to receive an assessment was "an absolute nightmare … our systems in health and our systems in education don't link and can't talk, and we can't transfer things over, and things had to be logged in one place and not another."
The authors argue children and young people with autism and conditions such as ADHD can thrive in mainstream education if their needs are supported in a timely way.
Early identification and support can also mitigate the negative and costly effects on autistic children’s physical health.The report highlights how since Covid-19 there has been a 306% increase in the number of children waiting for an autism assessment.
