Neurodiversity: Children
(asked on 17th June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of a) the number of children and adolescents who have been waiting for more than 5 years for assessment by neurodevelopmental diagnostic services and b) the effectiveness of the support in place to mitigate impacts on education, home life and wellbeing.
Published data on Autism Waiting times does not include figures on the number of people waiting over five years for an assessment. However, there is data based on how long those who are being seen following a referral for an assessment for autism have waited, and it specifically identifies the median waiting time in days of patients with an open suspected autism referral where their first care contact was in the quarter. In March 2026, this was 596 days for those aged under 10 years old, 321 days for those aged 10 to 17 years old, and 134 days for those aged 18 to 24 years old. Further information is available at the following link:
Published data on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) includes the number of open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment, that have been open for two years or more. In February 2026, there were 63,570 people aged 17 years old or younger and 46,635 people aged 18 to 24 years old that may be waiting for an ADHD assessment, through mental health services, who had been waiting over two years.
In February 2026, the number of people on the community paediatrics waiting list who could be waiting for an ADHD assessment and who have been waiting over 104 weeks was 31,436. Further information is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/may-2026
There has not been an estimate of the effectiveness of support to mitigate impacts of waits for diagnostic assessment on education, home life, and wellbeing. However, there is a range of work underway to improve access to, and the effectiveness of, support within education, health, and care services.
In December 2025, the Government launched an Independent Review into the Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. A central concern of the review is that access to recognition, diagnosis, and support is uneven.
This independent review will inform a new approach that reduces waiting times, improves the quality of care, and promotes prevention and early intervention. These goals and the review’s interim report align with and support the Government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, which similarly aim to focus on identifying needs early, and providing early support to prevent needs escalating where possible.
The final report will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.
We are also working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the SEND system, ensuring that joined-up support is available across education, health, and care services, including for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Reforms will support earlier identification of needs for children and young people so that they can access the support they need without long waits for assessments, including training for teachers, new National Inclusion Standards, and the new Experts at Hand offer, bringing outside education and health professionals into and alongside mainstream nurseries, schools, and colleges.
For the first time, the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework also included a clear expectation that integrated care boards and providers fulfil their statutory SEND duties and support the Government’s SEND reforms. The framework also sets goals to expand coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, reduce long waits for ADHD and autism assessments, and reduce waits for community services.