Policy update

The policy landscape continues to develop rapidly, and updates on the latest state of play, and the Alliance’s relevant work, are set out below.

As an overarching point, it’s important to note the rising risk to the public perception of autism, as we have done in previous updates – particularly the risk that autistic people without a learning disability, and those with higher levels of autonomy, are marginalised and written off in policy and services. In a political climate of growing division, with a narrative of ‘overdiagnosis’ increasingly prominent, this is an easy target. It should be of deep concern to us all.

In this context, it’s vital we highlight the risks faced by all autistic people because of a lack of support and adaptation of services; and that we keep sharing the evidence that inclusion helps everyone: not just autistic people and their families, but all marginalised groups and ultimately everyone in society. This view has strong support amongst many in society and services and several key figures with power and influence. 

Focusing on the Autism Alliance’s three core priorities for 2026:

·         On the future of autism assessment, we are now working on a draft of the short public policy report we aim to publish in April/May, as an input to Government decision-making and to the independent review of mental health, ADHD and autism. Drawing on the latest evidence, the report will make the case for a fundamental shift in how public services identify and meet the needs of autistic children, young people and adults, to unlock better outcomes and support more cost-effective spending of scarce public funds. The report is being shaped by a group of leading researchers and clinical figures, alongside representatives from national autism organisations. We have also recruited a reference group of autistic adults and parents/carers who are providing feedback and contributions alongside the core group.

·         On the National Autism Strategy, we continue to work with other national autism organisations to exert pressure on the Government to develop a new Strategy which supports systemic change, in line with the recommendations in the ‘Time to deliver’ report from the House of Lords. This will include focusing on the Autism Act, which, as a landmark social inequality law represented huge progress in autism awareness and the acknowledgement that autistic people face specific barriers which require a specific response.

·         On autism specialism, we are now working with the Autism Alliance Practice Forum on a draft ’guide to autism specialism in the not-for-profit sector’. This includes a ‘model’ identifying the key features of autism specialist organisations, including contemporary knowledge of autism and neurodivergence, a needs-led culture, a focus on quality of life, and continual learning at all levels. The next stage will be to open this up for feedback and contributions from autistic people and their families, and from those representing service commissioning. We aim to publish this resource in the summer.

Outside these priorities, the main news in policy in England is this week’s launch of the Schools White Paper and plans for SEND reform. It is an important moment in policy, given the scale of the challenge and level of public interest, and for the Government given the risks involved.

On the positive side, the Government seems to have listened to some of what children, young people, parents, and charities have said. The focus of the plans is on identifying and meeting needs as the basis for learning, with new legal responsibilities for schools, and there is consideration of phasing in the reforms to manage against inadvertent negative outcomes. The expertise of specialist organisations, like those in our sector, is acknowledged. And there is investment in the crucial specialist health workforce that can support schools.

However, there remain significant risks, most clearly around Education, Health and Care Plans and children who face significant risk of harm but are not deemed to have the ‘most complex needs’, which could include autistic children without a learning disability. There is also a risk that the underlying drive to cut costs falls disproportionately on specialist organisations, particularly in the independent sector.

The plans rightly see reform as a decade-long process: this is essential given the scale of the problems the sector faces. However, parents and children will need to see benefits well before that point, so the upfront investment the Government plans will need to work hard. There is also the chance that the reforms are dropped if a different Government is elected in 2028.

The Autism Alliance has provided some initial reflections on a first look at the proposals. Overall, to see a positive transformation of education for children with SEND, there will need to be a substantial change in culture, led from the very top by the Government and education leaders. We will be giving the plans a more detailed review in the week ahead.

There will now be a 12-week public consultation on the proposals, ending on 18th May, to which individual Alliance members will want to respond. The Alliance will also submit a response. To support this, we are hosting an initial call with CEOs next week to discuss the White Paper and SEND reform plans and will then consider further discussion calls.

Alongside the White Paper the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group report was also published – a long time after it was first submitted to the Government last summer. The Autism Alliance was part of the Group, and it is positive to see some of the recommendations reflected in the Government’s plans, particularly the importance of a needs-led system.

Other developments in policy relevant for our work are:

·         The Health and Social Care and Education Select Committees of Parliament have launched a joint inquiry into the mental health of children and young people. This inquiry will examine mental health support and services provided in education and community settings, available to children and young people up to the age of 25. The Committees wish to understand how this provision is integrated with specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), acute and other statutory NHS services. The Autism Alliance will respond to this inquiry highlighting the vital importance of adapted mental health provision for autistic children and young people, the availability of this provision, and ensuring it is connected into strong pathways of support from the earliest years of life. There will be a link here to the report we are producing on the future of autism assessment.

·         On social care, we await an announcement about the next phase of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care led by Baroness Louise Casey. The Local Government Finance Settlement has been published, setting out the Government’s approach for the next three years. Although additional funding is available, analysis suggests this remains insufficient to cover known pressures across social care, again reinforcing the importance of a new approach to funding social care in the future, something it is hoped Louise Casey will consider. This useful paper on funding from Leonard Cheshire is worth a read.

·         On welfare policy, the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment has had its first meeting and is developing plans for wider engagement. The co-chairs of the Review have now announced the members of their lived experience steering group. There has been no update so far from Alan Milburn’s Review focusing on young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), although he was interviewed by the BBC last weekend. And the National Audit Office has issued a report on Access to Work, highlighting the very long delays experienced by those trying to access this support.