To ask the Minister of Education to detail any assessment his Department has made, of the impact of delays in autism diagnoses, on children’s access to special educational needs support in schools.

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that with the implementation of the Local IMPACT Teams, a delay in autism diagnosis should not prevent a child or young person from receiving appropriate support in school.

Local IMPACT Teams offer a wide range of support to schools at both the whole-school level and Stage 1 and 2 of the SEN Code of Practice. This includes access to autism advice lines for educational settings and parents, autism-specific training for staff, drop-in clinics, and solution-focused hubs. These resources are designed to help schools respond effectively to the needs of autistic children and young people, regardless of where they are in their diagnostic journey. This process is needs-led, meaning that a diagnosis of autism is not required for a child to receive support. Instead, provision is based on the presenting needs of the child or young person.