Positive assessment rates for autism vary widely between parts of England

Charity says findings on evaluations of children and adults suggest different approaches and are deeply worrying'

Children and adults seeking an autism diagnosis in England are up to almost seven times more likely to receive one in some NHS foundation trusts than others, according to research.

Freedom of information requests by the charity Autistica revealed that positive assessments in children ranged from 100% of those evaluated by one trust to just 18% in another. In adults the figures ranged from 97% to 14%.