Waiting for an autism assessment? What you can do now

How long is the wait for an autism assessment?

Waits are long across the UK and vary by area. In June 2026, 294,792 people in England had an open referral for suspected autism, and 86.8% of them had been waiting at least 13 weeks (NHS England Digital). These figures cover all ages and are "official statistics in development", so treat them as a guide. They also leave out children assessed by community paediatric teams. The next figures are due on 12 November 2026 (NHS England Digital).

In 2022 to 2023, the Children's Commissioner for England found that children waited on average 527 days from referral to diagnosis in mental health services and 791 days in community health services (Children's Commissioner).

NICE recommends that an autism assessment starts within 3 months of the referral to the autism team (NICE CG128). This is a recommendation, not a legal right, and most people currently wait longer.

Do you need a diagnosis to get help?

No. You do not need a diagnosis to get support for your child, or to start helping at home. The legal advice charity IPSEA says: "A child does not need a formal diagnosis in order to receive support in school. Support should be available based on the child's needs." Scope, a disability charity, says the same about SEN support and Disability Living Allowance.

What can I start at home now?

You can start straight away with approaches that UK guidance recommends for autistic children. None needs special equipment.

Visual supports

Visual supports are pictures, symbols, objects or written words that show your child what is happening and what comes next. NICE lists "providing visual supports, for example, words, pictures or symbols that are meaningful for the child" among the adjustments for autistic children (NICE CG170). A large US review counted 65 studies supporting visual supports (NCAEP 2020), although most studies in that review were small (Hume and colleagues, 2021).

1. Make a Now and Next board: one picture for what is happening now and one for what comes next. Our printable Now and Next board is free.
2. Use photos of your child's own things if symbols are hard to understand.
3. Put things your child enjoys on it too, not only tasks they dislike.
4. When that works, try a visual timetable for part of the day, using our printable timetable.

See our visual supports guide.

Communication strategies

You don't need to wait for speech and language therapy to start. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists says "there are no pre-requisites" to using AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), such as pictures, signs or a communication app (RCSLT).

Try ten minutes of "together time" each day, when your child is calm:

• Get down to their level and watch what interests them. Don't ask for eye contact.
• Join in by copying what they do, with a similar toy of your own (Hanen).
• Wait. Stop talking, lean in and give them time: the Hanen Centre suggests up to 10 seconds (Hanen).
• Treat any look, sound, reach, sign or word as a turn, and answer it.
• Talk about what they're already looking at ("Car. Fast car.") rather than asking lots of questions.
• Play simple games with a pause, such as "Ready, steady..." and wait for any signal before "go".

In two UK trials of PACT, a programme in which a therapist coaches parents, parents learned to respond in step with their child, and children started more interactions with them. Gains in language were small or absent (Green and colleagues, 2010; Green and colleagues, 2022).

Ask about a speech and language therapy referral now, because waits are long: 66,695 children and young people in England were waiting in April 2026 (UK Parliament written answer). In some areas parents can contact the service directly (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust).

A calm bedtime routine

Sleep is often hard for autistic children. NICE's advice starts with a regular bedtime, a look at the bedroom and a sleep plan, before any medicine (NICE CG170). A review of 11 studies found that behavioural sleep approaches delivered by parents were "generally effective and valued by parents" (Kirkpatrick and colleagues, 2019).

• Do the same few steps in the same order every night, and show them as pictures.
• Keep the bedroom screen-free, with no screens in the hour before bed, as England's 2026 early years screen time report advises (EYSTAG report).
• If sleep is a big problem, keep a 2-week sleep diary. NICE uses one to build a sleep plan.
• Tell your GP if your child snores loudly, chokes or seems to stop breathing in their sleep.

The Sleep Charity's National Sleep Helpline is on 03303 530 541 (The Sleep Charity). See our sleep guide for more.

A diary of what you notice

A diary helps professionals see your child's everyday life, not just one appointment. NICE asks professionals to consider whether signs show up in different settings and how much they affect your child and family (NICE CG128). The same notes help with a DLA claim: the charity Contact suggests keeping a diary for a week when you fill in the form (Contact).

A one-page profile

A one-page profile is a short summary of your child: what they love, how they communicate, what upsets them and what helps them feel calm. It helps new people, such as a childminder or doctor, get to know your child quickly. Our one-page profile template is free to print. For hospital visits, the National Autistic Society's free My Health Passport does a similar job.

How can nursery or school help before a diagnosis?

In England, nurseries and schools should give SEN support based on your child's needs, not a diagnosis (IPSEA). The SEND Code of Practice says schools "should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent".

1. Ask to meet your child's teacher or key person and the SENCO. Take your diary and examples.
2. Ask for an assessment of your child's needs that includes your views and your child's.
3. If SEN support is agreed, the Code says you must be told formally. Ask for the plan in writing, with the support, what it should achieve and a review date.
4. At each review, ask what difference the support has made. If progress is still limited, ask about specialists, such as an educational psychologist or speech and language therapist.

This cycle of assess, plan, do and review is called the graduated approach, and the Code applies it in nurseries too.

Asking for an EHC needs assessment

If your child needs more help than SEN support can give, you can ask your council for an EHC needs assessment yourself. Scope says you don't need a diagnosis or the school's backing, although both can make it easier. The law says the council must assess if your child "has or may have special educational needs" and may need support through an EHCP (Children and Families Act 2014, section 36).

The council must decide whether to assess within 6 weeks of your request (SEND Regulations, regulation 5), and, if it issues a plan, send the final version within 20 weeks of your request (regulation 13). In 2025, only 46.1% of new plans in England were issued within 20 weeks, and councils agreed to assess 44.0% of requests from parents, compared with 75.8% of requests from schools (Department for Education). These figures don't show why, but it's worth including clear evidence and, if you can, asking the school to support your request. IPSEA has a free template letter (IPSEA), and our guide explains how to request an EHC needs assessment.

As of September 2026 the law has not changed. The government says no changes to the support given by EHCPs will begin before September 2030 (Department for Education). See SEND reforms 2026.

Can I get DLA or other money while we wait?

Yes. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children depends on your child's needs, not a diagnosis. The charity Contact says: "You don't need to wait for a formal diagnosis to make a claim."

Your child must be under 16 and need much more looking after than a child of the same age without a disability, or have walking difficulties. The difficulties must have lasted at least 3 months and be expected to last at least 6 months (GOV.UK). You can claim whether or not you work. In 2026/27, DLA pays between £30.30 and £194.60 a week (GOV.UK).

• Claim early. DLA can't be backdated. If you phone the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 for a form, your claim can start from the date of the call, as long as you return the form within 6 weeks (GOV.UK).
• Describe your child's needs fully. Contact suggests describing bad days and "better days", comparing your child with children of the same age, and not waiting for reports before you send the form (Contact).
• DLA can lead to other help. In England, a 2-year-old who gets DLA can have 15 hours of funded early education a week, for 38 weeks of the year (GOV.UK), and their nursery can receive at least £975 a year from the Disability Access Fund in 2026/27 (Department for Education). You may also get Carer's Allowance if your child gets the middle or highest care rate and you care for them at least 35 hours a week (GOV.UK), depending on your earnings (GOV.UK).

In Scotland, apply for Child Disability Payment instead, which you can do without a diagnosis (mygov.scot), and Carer Support Payment instead of Carer's Allowance (mygov.scot). Northern Ireland has its own DLA claim route (GOV.UK). See DLA for autistic children and money and practical help.

How do I chase the referral, and are there faster routes?

Check the referral has arrived, and keep in touch.

1. Ask whoever referred your child, such as the GP, health visitor or school, to confirm it was sent, and ask for a copy.
2. Contact the autism service to check it has been accepted. Ask how long the current wait is and what support they offer before the assessment. NHS England's framework for autism assessment services says they should give clear information and support before the assessment, including signposting to other services.
3. Keep a note of every call, email and letter, with dates.
4. Send the service anything new in writing, such as a nursery report or a big change in your child's needs.
5. If you can't get answers, ask your GP practice to chase it.

Right to Choose (England)

In England, Right to Choose lets you ask for the assessment to be done by a different NHS-funded provider, which may have a shorter wait (NHS). From late 2025, at least nine NHS areas paused or restricted new Right to Choose referrals for autism and ADHD (Special Needs Jungle). The government said in May 2026 that the legal right is unchanged (UK Parliament written answer), but ask your GP whether it's available where you live. See our Right to Choose guide.

Private assessments

Private assessments can be quicker but are costly. Standard published prices for a child's assessment, checked in September 2026, ranged from £1,900 (Autism 360) to £3,800 at the National Autistic Society's own service (NAS). The National Autistic Society says some families struggle to get a non-NHS diagnosis accepted by councils and NHS services, so check locally before you pay, and ask your GP whether your child can stay on the NHS list. See what happens at an autism assessment for a provider checklist.

When should I ask for an urgent review?

Some changes should not wait for the autism assessment. See your GP promptly, and tell the autism service in writing, if your child:

• loses words, social skills or movement skills they used to have (NICE CG128)
• may be having seizures, such as staring spells, jerking movements or suddenly falling (NHS)
• is hurting themselves, or getting injured often
• is eating very few foods, losing weight or not growing as expected (NICE CG170)
• snores loudly, chokes or seems to stop breathing when asleep
• is excluded from nursery or school, or your family is reaching breaking point

How do I look after myself while we wait?

Waiting is hard, and your wellbeing matters too. In England, you can ask your council for a parent carer needs assessment of the support you need, and the council must carry one out if you ask (Children Act 1989, section 17ZD).

• Ask your council for its short breaks services statement. Councils in England must publish one, setting out the breaks available and who can get them (Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011).
• Talk to parents who understand. Contact's Listening Ear offers one-to-one phone appointments with advisers who are parents of disabled children themselves (Contact), and the National Autistic Society has a Parent to Parent emotional support service (NAS).
• Carers UK has a helpline on 0808 808 7777 (Carers UK).
• If you're struggling, talk to your GP. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time (Samaritans). If someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E (NHS).

See looking after yourself for more.

Where can I find support near me?

• Your council's Local Offer. Every council in England must publish information about local services for children with special educational needs or disabilities (Children and Families Act 2014, section 30). Search for your council's name and "Local Offer".
• SENDIASS. Your local SENDIASS gives free advice on SEN support and EHC needs assessments. Find yours through the Council for Disabled Children.
• Parent carer forums. These are local groups of parents and carers of disabled children who work with councils and health services (NNPCF).
• Home visits for under-5s. Some areas offer home visits, sometimes called Portage, for preschool children with special educational needs (Scope).
• Helplines. Contact has a free helpline for families with disabled children on 0808 808 3555 (Contact). IPSEA gives free legal advice on special educational needs, and the National Autistic Society has guides and a services directory.
• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Enquire in Scotland, SNAP Cymru in Wales and Autism NI in Northern Ireland give local advice.