We're calling on the UK Government to create a national strategic initiative to fund research and develop and test new and better ways to diagnose and support autistic people.

You can help by putting autism on the agenda.

Tell your MP about the urgent need for better diagnosis and support for autistic people, and ask them to take action.

We've created a template for you to send to your MP, which we've included below.

To make your email or letter more impactful, we'd strongly encourage you to personalise it. MPs receive numerous letters and emails, and personalised ones with real-life experiences talking about local issues are more effective than generic ones.

1. Find your local MP on Parliament’s website by entering your postcode or location. It will provide you with their contact details.
2. Write your email. We have suggested some text below as a starting point, but the more you can personalise the email with your experiences, the better. You must include your full name and address as MPs can only respond to people in their constituency.
3. Let us know that you have done this. Email info@autistica.org.uk including the name of your local MP. You can include a copy of your message if you wish.

Using our template below as a starting point, you could personalise your letter to share your experiences or those of an autistic loved one.

• Have you experienced long waiting lists for diagnosis? How has this impacted you personally?
• If you have been diagnosed, has the post-diagnosis support been adequate? How has this made you think or feel?
• When possible, include specific local information that's relevant to your local to your MP's constituency. For example, talking about local services that did not offer adequate support.

[MP's name]
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

[Your name]

[Your full address and postcode]


[Date]

Dear [MP’s name],

Congratulations on your success in the recent General Election.

As your constituent, I am writing to express my deep concern over the crisis facing autistic people and their families in accessing assessments and support.

According to NHS England, 187,567 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England as of August 2024. That’s more than enough to fill Wembley Stadium twice over. Additionally, of those waiting for an assessment, six in 10 of are under the age of 18.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that an autism assessment should begin within three months of referral. However, figures obtained by the autism research and campaigning charity Autistica show that is simply not the case: it is more common to wait for several years before receiving a diagnosis.

Even after diagnosis, many areas across the country have no specific support pathway, and autistic people and families are often sent away with only basic information resources. Many autistic people receive no support at all; contributing to stark health inequalities, exclusion from the workforce, and repeated high-profile cases of abuse and long-term detention of autistic people in inpatient care.

This is not inevitable. With the right support, understanding and adjustments in place, autistic people can thrive. Research exploring new models of assessment and support is crucial to ensuring that timely, effective support is available to all who need it.

Your advocacy is essential to achieving better outcomes for autistic people. If you are as concerned as I am about this diagnostic crisis, I would be very grateful for your support in calling on the new Government to:

• Work with Autistica and other research funders to create a single national strategic initiative that directs investment in support for autistic people across the lifespan.
• Work with NHS bodies and local authorities to urgently improve access to autism assessments in the short to medium term.
• Provide sufficient resources and information to ensure local authorities, schools and other public services can make necessary adjustments based on need, without having to wait for a formal diagnosis.
  
  For more information, a more detailed briefing is available on Autistica’s website.
  
  If you would like to discuss any of these issues further, you can contact Autistica’s policy lead: georgia.harper@autistica.org.uk.
  
  Thank you for your help. I look forward to receiving your response.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  [Your name]