Children's three-year wait for autism help - report

Some children referred for an autism assessment in Barnsley face a waiting list of three years before being seen, with the number of such referrals on the rise, a report has found.

A team based at Barnsley Hospital which was initially commissioned to assess 25 children a month was instead now completing 39 assessments monthly, according to the report to be seen by councillors.

Meanwhile, the number of children on the waiting list for autism assessment referrals as of August was 1,689, with an average of 64 referrals a month being made in 2025.

In January, councillors in Barnsley will consider investing £500,000 into the service, saying there were "challenges for not only families but the team".

The report to be scrutinised by councillors stated that over the past 20 years, "demand for autism assessments in England has exponentially increased, driven by greater awareness of the condition and population growth".

However, the report also said that "investment has not kept pace with the growing change, leading to a gap in capacity".

"Nationally, the increase in the number of children on the waiting list has led to unsustainable levels across the country and many areas exceeding the recommended NICE guidelines from referral to assessment", it said.

"With demand continuing to rise, and capacity remaining static, the gap between need and provision is widening."

Responding to this, Barnsley councillors will consider proposals for a one-off "financial injection" to address some of the longest waits with the autism spectrum disorder assessment team.

If approved, it would include £100,000 to go directly to Barnsley Hospital to increase capacity and recruit a locum on a short-term basis.

Another £400,000 would see a team of paediatricians, speech and language therapists, psychologists and admin support brought in.

It was envisaged the service would operate an evening and weekend service from children's outpatients at the hospital, the report stated.

The additional investment would be used to target children facing "the most significant transition points", the report said.

"Autism assessments are often accelerated during key life transitions, such as moving from primary to secondary school and taking GCSEs or A levels.

"These transition points can place extra pressure on individuals with suspected autism, making their difficulties more noticeable or harder to manage."

According to the report, there were currently 99 children in Barnsley transitioning to secondary school, with 96 doing their final year of GCSEs and 72 moving into higher education or work.

The report stated: "Targeting children in key phase transitions will hopefully result in them being less distressed.

"The decision to look at these transition points have been prioritised over addressing long waits alone. However, a significant proportion of those identified have already been waiting between one and three years for an assessment.

"This will ensure children and their families receive the support at the right time so they can thrive in those new settings at each key stage of their lives."

Barnsley Council's Cabinet is due to discuss the proposals on 7 January.

Earlier this month, the government ordered the launch of an independent review into rising demand for autism services.

It has also earmarked £688m towards hiring 8,500 additional mental health workers, expanding NHS talking therapies and increasing the number of mental health emergency departments.

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