Learning Disability Today
Supporting professionals working in learning disability and autism services

Autistic people face constant fight for health and social care support

Autistic people are bearing the brunt of a broken system and face a constant fight for health and social care support, according to a new report from the National Autistic Society.

The report written by autistic staff at the National Autistic Society says that autism needs to be a policy priority for the new Government because they experience the most significant inequalities in society across health and social care, education, employment and mental health.

As autistic people die around six years earlier than the general population, the charity is calling on the government to ensure that autistic people are fully involved and included in the NHS 10-year plan.

It also wants additional investment in community mental health services. There are 1,430 autistic people in mental health hospitals in England, and only 14% of autistic adults said there were enough mental health services in their area to meet their needs. Services are rejecting referrals for autistic people and failing to take responsibility. This leads to autistic people being bounced around between services. In many local areas, there is no alternative if a service cannot provide support.

The report adds that the recently introduced Mental Health Bill cannot be implemented in full, nor can it be effective in achieving better mental health outcomes for autistic people, without significant investment in preventative mental health care.

Autistic children are being failed by the SEND system

Access to education is also a constant fight for autistic people, with almost three in four parents (74%) thinking their children’s school place doesn’t meet their needs.

There are 230,000 autistic pupils in England, but only a quarter (26%) feel happy at school, while three in four (74%) of parents and carers say their child’s school place does not meet their needs, and a quarter (26%) of families have waited over three years for support for their child.

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Families must turn to SEND Tribunals to fight for their children’s rights because local authorities don’t have the capacity or funding to support the implementation of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Yet, 99% of SEND tribunal cases favour parents, proving how the system is failing families who should have been listened to in the first place.

In addition, diagnosis services have not kept up with increased demand, with 204,876 people waiting for an autism assessment in England as of September 2024. Most autistic people receive little to no support before or after diagnosis and are ultimately left to fend for themselves in overstretched, inaccessible public services.

The National Autistic Society proposes investing £1.3 billion over the next 15 years to evolve the assessment process.

The constant fight is exhausting

Mel Merritt, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “Autistic people and their families face a constant fight for support, from diagnosis and education to healthcare, mental health support, employment and beyond. It means a child can’t get an autism assessment and, because they can’t get a diagnosis, they are denied support at school. Then they leave school and can’t get a job or proper health or mental health care. The constant fight is exhausting, it’s blighting autistic people’s lives and can ultimately have devastating consequences.

“We urge the new Government to keep autistic people at the heart of reforms so it can achieve its mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity, building an NHS fit for the future and kickstarting economic growth. Systems that work better for autistic people are likely to work better for everybody.”

author avatar
Alison Bloomer
Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today. She has over 25 years of experience writing for medical journals and trade publications. Subjects include healthcare, pharmaceuticals, disability, insurance, stock market and emerging technologies. She is also a mother to a gorgeous 13-year-old boy who has a learning disability.

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