There are fears that some children with suspected Autism are missing out on early intervention and specialist education because they are not being diagnosed early enough.
The Hywel Dda health board in Pembrokeshire, Wales, have 340 children on their waiting lists to be assessed, and figures obtained by the BBC that out of the 4,000 children in Wales with an autism diagnosis, two thirds are in mainstream education.
A programme will be broadcast on the BBC on Friday October 18, showing particular details of the family of Tom Fairburn from Pembrokshire, who has waited just over three years for a diagnosis.
Meleri Thomas from the National Autistic Society Wales Said:
“It is quite worrying local authorities don’t know exactly how many children are waiting for a diagnosis because if they don’t know that then they can’t know how to plan for provision and what kind of provision is needed.”