The results of the fifth autism self assessment framework exercise have now been published:
The 2018 exercise reports have been added to the 2016 reports. The reports are accompanied by an interactive dashboard which stakeholders can use to see and compare data about their area.
The findings of the self-assessment give a snapshot of how well services are meeting the needs of autistic people in their local area. This will be used to inform the forthcoming update of the autism strategy. As part of the exercise:
- 142 out of the 152 upper tier local authorities responded to the self-assessment
- local authorities were asked around 100 questions about how their services are meeting the needs of autistic people
- responses were compared with those given in 2016
- 55 local authorities reported on balance a net improvement (they reported that they had got better on more questions than they reported that they had got worse)
- 23 local authorities reported no net change
- 74 reported a net worsening
- waiting times for diagnosis services rose in 63% of areas reporting this figure in both 2016 and 2018
- the number of people receiving a positive diagnosis rose in 63% of areas, doubled or more in 35% and quadrupled or more in 17%