Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time it takes for children to be referred for an initial assessment for autism spectrum disorders.

We are committed to ensuring children receive a timely diagnosis of autism in line with the clinical guideline set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. This guideline recommends the length of time between referral and a first appointment to start an assessment should be no more than three months.

Under the NHS Long Term Plan, over the next three years, autism diagnosis will be included alongside work with children and young people’s mental health services to test and implement the most effective ways to reduce waiting times for specialist services. This will be a step towards achieving timely diagnostic assessments in line with best practice guidelines.