📢 The Autism Diagnosis Crisis: Why Early Detection Can’t Wait
As of March 2025, over 224,000 people in England are currently waiting for an Autism assessment.
That’s 224,382 individuals - many of them children - left in limbo, waiting not just for a diagnosis; but for understanding, access to support, and the chance to thrive in a neurotypical world.
The Government has acknowledged the Autism crisis, but progress remains slow. It’s a National Crisis in the UK.
At All Behaviour Consultancy, we work with families every day who are living through this wait. Parents who know something is different but can’t get a referral. Children struggling in school while their names sit on a list. Adults who’ve masked or struggled for years, now seeking answers.
The wait times aren’t just frustrating - they’re life-altering.
That’s why we’ve stepped in to do what we can.
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🛠️ Working Towards Solutions: Screening & Referral Reform
NHS England recently tasked teams with a critical mission: reviewing and improving the tools used to screen for Autism across the country.
This report highlights how current systems often:
Miss early warning signs
Mislabel or overlook girls and minority ethnic children
Delay referrals with inefficient or inconsistent criteria
By improving these initial screening tools, we can ensure that families aren't bounced from one professional to another, and that children who need Autism support don’t slip through the cracks.
âś… Better screening = faster referrals = quicker support = better outcomes.
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đź’ˇ Why Early Detection Matters
The earlier a child is assessed and supported, the better their long-term outcomes.
This isn’t just about labels - it’s about empowerment:
Early diagnosis helps children get support at school.
It reduces frustration and behavioural challenges.
It guides parents and carers to resources, tools, and a community.
But when assessment waits stretch from months into years, we’re not just delaying services - we’re delaying progress, peace of mind, and, in many cases, a child’s development.
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đź“Ł What Needs to Happen Next
The government must:
Increase funding for autism diagnostic services
Expand the neurodevelopmental workforce
Implement nationwide early screening tools, informed by our review
Reduce postcode lotteries that leave some families waiting years while others are seen within weeks
We’re ready.
The NHS is ready.
But we need sustained, national support from policymakers to make early detection the standard, not the exception.
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❤️ What Parents Can Do whilst they wait for an Autism Diagnosis
If you're a parent waiting for answers for your Autistic child in the UK: you are not alone, and you are not powerless.
While you wait, early Autism support through ABA strategies and support services like ours can still begin - with or without a formal diagnosis.
Reach out to us today at All Behaviour Consultancy for Autism guidance and SEN support.
We believe every child deserves the best possible start, and we’re here to help make that happen.
Let’s turn waiting lists into support networks, and let’s make early detection a right - not a privilege.
Follow us on LinkedIn and connect with our inspiring Founder, Georgiana Koyama to help us advocate for the rights of Autistic individuals.
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📧 Get in touch with us below for Early Autism Support and Specialist Child Behaviour Support team for SEN children and young adults.
