Autism assessment waiting times in England
Autism assessment waiting times refer to how long people typically wait for an NHS autism assessment after being referred by a healthcare or education professional. Waiting times vary widely across England and depend on local NHS services, referral pathways and available capacity.
This page provides independent, factual information about NHS autism assessment waiting times in England. It explains how autism assessment pathways work, typical waiting time ranges, and why waiting times differ between areas.
What is an autism assessment?
An autism assessment is a specialist clinical process used to determine whether an individual meets the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Assessments are carried out by multidisciplinary teams and may include interviews, observation, questionnaires and developmental history.
Autism assessments are available through the NHS for both children and adults. Access to assessment usually begins with a referral from a GP, school, health visitor or another qualified professional.
This website does not provide medical advice or diagnostic guidance. If you have concerns about autism, you should speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
How NHS autism referral pathways work
NHS autism assessment services in England are commissioned and delivered locally. This means referral routes and service structures vary between areas.
In general, the process includes:
- Referral to a local autism assessment service
- Assessment by a multidisciplinary specialist team
- Feedback and support following diagnosis, where appropriate
Separate NHS pathways typically exist for:
- Children and young people's autism services
- Adult autism services
Because services are commissioned locally by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), access arrangements and waiting times differ significantly across England.
Typical NHS autism assessment waiting times
Published NHS reports indicate that autism assessment waiting times in England are often lengthy, particularly for adult services.
In many areas:
- Children and young people's autism assessment waiting times may exceed one year
- Adult autism assessment waiting times can extend for several years
Waiting times vary depending on referral demand, local service capacity and workforce availability. The figures referenced on this site are based on published NHS data and reports, and actual waiting times for individuals may differ.
Why autism waiting times vary by area
Autism assessment waiting times differ across England due to several factors, including:
- Local commissioning arrangements
- Availability of specialist clinicians
- Demand for autism assessments
- Historical backlogs within services
Because autism services are organised locally, waiting times can vary substantially between towns, regions and NHS trusts.
Autism waiting times by town and area
Autism assessment services are commissioned and delivered locally, which means waiting times vary between areas. However, there is no single, consistently published NHS dataset that provides town-level or trust-level autism waiting times across England.
Information about autism assessment waits is typically disclosed through individual NHS trust reports, Integrated Care Board publications, or Freedom of Information requests rather than a centralised national dataset.
Browse local NHS context by county and town
The town pages linked below do not display autism assessment waiting times. Instead, they provide local NHS context including which trust serves each area, published diagnostic waiting time data for other services, and general guidance on accessing NHS care.
Berkshire
Derbyshire
East Sussex
Greater London
Greater Manchester
Leicestershire
North Yorkshire
Nottinghamshire
Somerset
Tyne and Wear
Warwickshire
West Midlands
About autism waiting time data availability
Autism assessment waiting times are not routinely published at town or trust level in a centralised NHS dataset. As a result, the local town pages on this website do not display autism waiting lists or estimated wait durations.
If you need information about autism assessment waiting times in your area, you may wish to contact your local NHS trust or Integrated Care Board directly, speak to your GP, or submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Some trusts and ICBs publish waiting time information on their own websites.
Where the data comes from
Information on autism assessment waiting times is sourced from publicly available NHS England publications, reports from NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards, and other official NHS data releases.
The data reflects the most recently published information available at the time of update and is typically reported as averages or ranges rather than individual waiting times.
All data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0, which permits public use and republication of official statistics.
Important information for users
This website is an independent information resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the National Health Service (NHS) or NHS England.
The site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Information is provided for general reference purposes only.
If you have concerns about autism or your position on an NHS waiting list, you should contact your GP or relevant NHS service directly.
Last updated: January 2026