Autism Assessment in the UK: Closing the Gap

The UK has a crisis in autism assessment. In England, as of March 2023 over 157,000 people of all ages were waiting for an assessment, of which 84% have waited longer than the 13 weeks recommended by NICE. The number of people awaiting assessment in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is also high; and at their longest, waits for assessment can stretch into years.

Being unable to secure an autism diagnosis can prevent access to a wide range of crucial adaptations and services that allow autistic people to live happier, healthier, longer lives.

In response, the Autism Alliance ran a workshop for its Members to discuss the assessment crisis, and share ideas and potential solutions for closing the gap. The outputs of this session have been brought together into a policy contribution from the Alliance - Autism Assessment in the UK: Closing the Gap. This forms part of the Autism Alliance’s broader call for Real Change for Autistic People and their Families.

Demand for autism assessment is out of step with the capacity of the specialist workforce, and investment from Governments across the UK is vital to close the gap, by expanding the workforce to meet this demand. Alongside this, there are other ways in which Governments and the NHS can increase capacity and efficiency in autism assessment services.

As well as recommendations for Governments and the NHS, the paper highlights two examples of good practice in assessment and pre/post-diagnostic support, from Scotland and England.

The Autism Alliance would be pleased to engage with Governments across the UK, the NHS, local health services, charities, think tanks and others with an interest in autism assessment, to discuss the ideas and proposals in this policy contribution, and to support continuing work on ensuring timely access to specialist autism assessment for children, young people and adults across the UK.