12th June 2009
Adults with autism are not receiving effective services because agencies do not have sufficient data or understanding of the condition, the National Audit Office has found.
A June 5 report said most NHS organisations and local authorities did not know how many people with autism lived in their area, while three-quarters did not have a commissioning strategy for the condition.
Half of England’s 400,000 autistic adults have no learning disability, while only 15% are in work. Yet services are often tailored towards physical illness or disability, or mental health problems, the NAO said. As a result, many people with autism found they did not meet the criteria for support.
