KSS Autism: Parameters and Future Care

Referrals for autism assessment have greatly increased in the last few years. This means that waiting times are longer for families, and children and young people are struggling to get the support they need. This also means that the number of autistic children and young people there is assumed to be is not correct. A better understanding of the true number of autistic children and young people is needed so that better support for them can be provided. This research aims to understand what autism looks like in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex (KSS) to better help autistic children and young people. To do this, schools will be asked about the number of autistic children in their school to better understand the number of children and young people with autism in KSS. Secondly, autistic children and young people will be interviewed to find out about the support they need. The information gathered will help the research team to develop a quality-of-life measure, which can be used by schools to help autistic children and young people get the support they need.