The government’s review of services and support for autistic people is covering autistic children as well as adults for the first time.
The review will inform the new joint adults and children autism strategy to be published in autumn 2019.
The review looks at:
- joining up health, care and education services to address autistic children’s needs holistically
- developing diagnostic services to diagnose autism earlier, in line with clinical guidance
- improving the transition between children and adult services so that no young people miss out, and ending inappropriate reliance on inpatient hospital care
- improving understanding of autism and all its profiles, including recently identified forms such as pathological demand avoidance (PDA)
As part of this review, the government will collect evidence from autistic children and adults, families, carers and professionals on how to improve services and support.