Thank you for contacting me about support for children and adults living with autism.
Autism is a complex condition which affects many people in very
different ways. In recent times, great progress has been made in improving our
understanding of autism. I fully acknowledge that we need to improve the
diagnosis times for autism spectrum disorder, as well as improving the quality
and consistency of data collected on waiting times and prevalence.
However, I am pleased to see that there are efforts being made
across government and throughout society to support children and adults with
autism. My ministerial colleagues are continuing to build on the advances
made since the Autism Act was passed in 2009.
The Government’s current Autism Strategy will run from 2021 to
2026 and is being implemented to help to improve the lives of children and
adults with autism. This strategy aims to: tackle the barriers autistic people
face so they can live independent and fulfilling lives; ensure faster diagnosis
and better access to health and social care for autistic people of all ages;
and support better education tailored to the needs of autistic children
and young people.
This strategy was backed by £75 million in its first year
alone, £40 million of which is through the NHS Long Term Plan to improve
capacity in crisis services and support children with complex needs in
inpatient care.
In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and
operational guidance for autism assessment services. These documents are
intended to help the NHS and local authorities improve their autism assessment
services and improve the experience for adults and children who are referred to
an autism assessment service.
Together, the framework and
operational guidance are expected to help reduce autism assessment waiting
times and to aid the recruitment and retention of the autism assessment
services workforce. They will also ensure there is greater consistency in
services across the country for people before, during and after a diagnosis.
Furthermore, building on the
2021/22 investment of £13 million, the Government invested £2.5 million in
2022/23 to support local areas with improvements in autism assessment
pathways. In 2023/24, £4.2 million of funding is available across England to
improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment
services, pre-and post-diagnostic support, and the continuation of
the Autism in Schools programme.
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