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<p>No one should have to face long waits for an autism assessment. We expect services
to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality
standard which recommends that the length of time between referral and a first appointment
to start an assessment should be no more than three months.</p><p> </p><p>We are determined
to drive up performance nationally. We will use data on autism diagnosis waiting times,
available for the first time later this year, to hold local areas to account where
waiting times exceed the NICE standard.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst a diagnosis of autism
should happen as soon as possible, it is important to recognise that formulating a
diagnosis is often complex and can involve different professionals and agencies.</p><p>
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