Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve early diagnosis and support for individuals with autism, particularly in educational and healthcare settings.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure that children and young people with Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND), including autistic children, receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We are doing this through working together to implement the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which was published 2 March 2023

In 2023/24, £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services, pre and post diagnostic support, and the continuation of the Autism in Schools programme

On 22 November 2023, we announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13m of investment, is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and NHS England. It will bring together ICBs, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including autistic children. The programme is expected to reach around 10% of mainstream primary schools. It will be evaluated, and learning will be used to inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.