Autistic children waiting more than 18 months for diagnosis

Research conducted by charity Ambitious about Autism found that from their child first being referred for an autism assessment, 46 per cent of parents waited longer than 18 months for a formal diagnosis. Some parents reported waiting for more than three years. Children are usually referred by a GP or health visitor for a formal assessment if they suspect the child is autistic. They should then have a multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment by a team of professionals that can include a paediatrician, a speech and language therapist, and a specialist psychologist. A total of 3,842 parents and carers of autistic children responded to the survey, which was conducted between September and November 2019. Read More.