PARENTS of children with autism face waiting over a year for a diagnosis and to receive the support they need, according to a new study.

A poll of 4,000 parents of children with autism by the charity Ambitious About Autism found that among those who do have a formal diagnosis, 49 per cent said they waited 18 months or longer from the point of referral to diagnosis.

“The process itself needs to be speeded up,” said Shirley Murphy, who chairs a west Cumbrian charity, Autism Support Allerdale and Copeland.

She identified a lack of staffing as a possible reason for the long waiting periods for diagnosis.

Shirley knows first hand what it is like to support a child with the condition.

“It is a hard journey to go down when you have a child with autism,” she said.

One in five parents polled said it took between 12 and 17 months from referral for their child to be diagnosed, and seven in 10 believe they did not receive the right amount of support after the diagnosis.

The parents polled said that they did not receive enough information and support about the condition.

Autism Support Allerdale and Copeland now operates out of Moorclose Campus and Community Centre. It was first formed in 2014, with its first meetings in Distington Community Centre.

In September the support group received a vital cash boost of £40,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of the national charity Ambitious About Autism, said: “Many parents say they feel isolated and helpless as they wait to find out whether their child has autism.

“To make matters worse, our research tells us that even when families receive a diagnosis of autism, they continue to struggle to access adequate help to understand and support their child’s needs and help them feel positive about the future.

“Autistic children have so much potential but we know that the earlier they can benefit from the right support and interventions, the easier it is for them to thrive and achieve as they grow up.”

The online survey questioned 3,842 parents and carers of autistic children, aged 0-25, between September and November 2019.