I am recruiting participants to take part in listening assessments at the University of Salford. We are looking for clinically diagnosed autistic people who consider themselves noise sensitive and neurotypical “normal hearing” people. The assessments are in person and will…

Experts comment on an interim report commissioned by Health Secretary Wes Streeting into the rise in ADHD and Autism, as reported by the Times. Dr Amanda Roestorf, Director of Research at Autistica, said: “The interim review of the prevalence of…

The Government has published its interim report of the independent review into the prevalence of autism, mental health and ADHD. We are concerned that not only are autistic people’s needs clearly not being met, but that this review is fuelling…

We know that your time can be stretched, especially if you work in schools where the workload is high. We’ve put this toolkit together to help break down the Government’s proposals and what they might mean for you, and to…

It’s been just over a week since the Government published its Schools White Paper, detailing plans to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England. Alongside these plans, the Government launched a consultation, which is open until…

Today, the Government published its plans for how it will reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. Reforms are much needed and have been long promised. But rumours and leaks have caused a lot of anxiety for families…

Following further leaks in the media in recent days, we expect the Government to finally publish its plans for SEND reform this week. We know the government wants an emphasis on early support in mainstream schools, but reform must not…

The assessment crisis needs action – right now We know there are hundreds of thousands of people waiting for an autism and/or ADHD assessment. Many desperately need help. Yet they are waiting years. That’s years of not getting the right…

We expect the Government to announce its long-awaited plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system very soon. In a new blog, our Chief Executive sets out our five principles for effective reform. If the white paper…

The Disabled Children’s Partnership and the charity Kids, campaign for better support for disabled children, young people and their families. This survey is for young disabled people aged 11-25 years, living in England. The government plan to reform the system…

Background For many years, evidence has shown that autistic people and people with a learning disability have reduced life expectancy. In September 2025, minister Stephen Kinnock said, “The latest report shows that on average, people with a learning disability die…

23 January 2026 Joint statement: Today the Government has responded to the House of Lords’ report, ‘Time to deliver: the Autism Act and the new autism strategy’. As the autism charity sector, we stand together to say the Government’s response…

In 2024, we Global Child and Maternal Health published the Black Child SEND Report and convened our first Black Child SEND Conference – bringing families, practitioners, and policymakers together to expose and evidence racial inequity within the SEND system. In…

The NHS has published the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study, which shows that the prevalence of autistic adults in the UK remains at around one in 100 people. Our charity’s response is included below. NAS comment: Mel Merritt, Head of Policy…

The Autism Act 2009 is a law that says the Government must make an autism strategy, keep it up to date, and provide guidance for the NHS and local authorities about what they need to do. A House of Lords…

In its new report ‘Time to deliver: The Autism Act 2009 and the new autism strategy’, the Lords Autism Act 2009 Committee calls on the government to launch a new autism strategy in July 2026 and identify priority outcomes, produce…

The National Autistic Society Post A new report has been published by the Autism Act 2009 Committee, which makes clear that governments have failed to break down barriers for autistic people, who face a constant fight for support and unacceptable…