I know the delays in the diagnosis of autism can cause needless suffering; the Government is committed to ensuring that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) lead fulfilling and rewarding lives.
Delivery across health care is a priority of this Government, and with the development of the Adult Autism Strategy, we are moving towards delivering the improvements in care for those with ASD. Our guidance sets a clear direction for how health and social care can continue to improve services to deliver fulfilling and rewarding lives for people with autism.
The Government has introduced a new birth-to-25 education, health and care plan which sets out in one place all the support families will receive and help bridge the gap between education to employment and independent living.
For children, the Government is giving continued funding of £1.5 million to the Autism Education Trust to provide autism training to teachers. This ranges from basic awareness training and practical knowledge through to more advanced training for school leaders. Since 2012, the Trust has arranged training for around 50,000 education staff.
NICE guidelines on autism make it clear that families should wait no more than three months to start diagnosis. Every part of the National Health Service should be adhering to these guidelines, however decisions on how money should be spent locally are for clinical commissioning groups.
By Patrick McLoughlin on October 15, 2015