The Autism Service

25/02/2026

As debate continues around the government’s proposed changes to the SEND system in England, we’re proud to see FE News feature expert commentary from our Founder and Clinical Director, Dr Lisa Williams.

Dr Williams addressed the significant pressures facing the current SEN system, noting the sharp rise in children identified with neurodevelopmental conditions over the past two decades and the need for reform to ensure long-term sustainability.

She highlighted that:

“𝘼 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨-𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝. 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡-𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮.”

However, she also emphasised an important reality for families:

“𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨… 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡.”

Crucially, Dr Williams stressed the importance of maintaining robust and consistent assessment standards:

“𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.”

Sustainability, fairness, and children’s long-term outcomes must remain central to any reform. Strengthening assessment quality and carefully matching support to need is how we protect both resources and the children who rely on them.

You can read the full article here: https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/new-legal-requirement-for-schools-to-create-individual-support-plans-isps-for-all-children-with-send/

| New Legal Requirement for Schools to Create Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for All Children with SEND

23/02/2026

As the government sets out major proposed changes to the system for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in England, we’re proud to see BBC News include expert commentary from Dr Lisa Williams, Founder and Clinical Director of The Autism Service.

In the coverage, The Autism Service highlighted that:

“Providing earlier, school-based support through Individual Support Plans may help some children access help more quickly.”

Dr Williams also noted:

“Moving through tiers can be frustrating for families,” which means “clear pathways and timely reviews will be crucial.”

This reflects what we hear from families every day. Delays, unclear processes, and inconsistent support create unnecessary stress. Reform must focus not just on structure, but on clarity, speed and quality of support.

We remain committed to contributing constructively to the national conversation, advocating for evidence-based pathways that genuinely improve outcomes for children and young people.

You can follow the BBC’s live coverage here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c98q9j04q39t

The government has announced that education care plans will be reserved for most the complex SEND cases by 2035.

23/02/2026

Monday morning question: Are you choosing the right assessment pathway?

When concerns around Autism or ADHD first arise, most families want the same thing, clarity.

But navigating the different assessment options available can quickly become overwhelming.

Private or NHS❓
In-person or virtual❓
Multidisciplinary or single clinician❓
What actually makes an assessment robust❓

In our blog, we break down how to choose the right assessment, what quality markers to look for and the questions every parent or adult should be asking before proceeding.

Read the full article here: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/news/choosing-the-right-assessment/

Because the right assessment doesn’t just give a diagnosis, it provides confidence in the outcome and a clear way forward.

Discover the key factors to consider when choosing the right assessment for you or your child, whether that's ADHD, autism or combined in our article.

05/02/2026

When you have assessment services quoting 100% diagnosis rates (not us!), this is what happens - a diagnosis becomes meaningless. 🥲

We are so saddened by this headline from the BBC. It’s the start of many adaptations being removed, further marginalising and excluding children and adults with ASD and ADHD.

Over-diagnosis is a real problem and low quality pathways, virtual assessments, unqualified assessors and low tolerance for what are just everyday difficulties is at the core.

We need much, much tighter regulation, improved quality control and better education within the system to protect the people we care deeply about. ❤️

Operator Merlin Entertainments said the pass was no longer working as intended because of increasing demand.

02/02/2026

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁… 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀?

If you’ve sat down this morning with a full to-do list and found your concentration drifting before the coffee’s even kicked in, you’re not alone.

Difficulty focusing is one of the most common challenges we hear about, at work, at school and at home.

In our blog, we explore why focus can be so hard, what’s normal and when persistent difficulties with attention may be linked to something more, such as ADHD.

This article breaks down the science in a clear, reassuring way and helps readers understand what their struggles might really be telling them.

A worthwhile read to start the week with clarity.

Read the full article here: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/news/why-cant-i-focus/

Struggling to focus? Our guide explains how your environment and health can impact your ability to concentrate, as well as common causes like ADHD.

27/01/2026

We’re extremely grateful to Philippa for sharing her experience with our Shrewsbury clinic.

“Very supportive and helpful. Efficient and easy to book. The assessments are very thorough and detailed, and the feedback is helpful, with diagnosis accepted by schools/GPs etc.”

Clear, thorough assessments and reports that are understood and recognised by schools and GPs are essential for families seeking meaningful support. Feedback like this reassures us that we’re delivering exactly that.

Thank you to Philippa for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review!

20/01/2026

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀.

We’re proud to share that our Clinical Director, Dr Lisa Williams, has been quoted in a recent article by The Independent addressing claims around paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism.

In the article, Dr Williams provides vital clinical clarity:

“𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 787% 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙆 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 1998, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙡 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”

At a time when sensational headlines can cause unnecessary anxiety for families, expert, evidence-based voices matter. This contribution reflects exactly what we stand for: rigorous science, responsible discussion, and calm reassurance.

You can read the full article here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/trump-paracetamol-tylenol-pregnancy-autism-study-fact-check-b2901837.html

We’re incredibly proud to see our clinical leadership contributing to national conversations that truly matter.

Researchers warned avoiding paracetamol might expose mothers to risks associated with untreated pain and fever, such as miscarriage or congenital defects.

16/01/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗? 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿.

Long waiting lists can leave children struggling at school and at home, often without the understanding or support they need. Our Child ADHD Assessments are designed to provide clarity, reassurance and timely answers when they matter most.

At The Autism Service, assessments are:

✅ Led by experienced clinicians
✅ Thorough, evidence-based and child-focused
✅ Clear on outcomes, next steps and support options

Most importantly, we take the time to understand your child as an individual, not just a checklist of symptoms. If you’re seeking answers and a way forward then we’re here to help.

Learn more about our Child ADHD Assessments: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/services/child-adhd-assessment/

Book a Child ADHD Assessment with our expert clinicians. Fast diagnosis, no waiting lists, & recognised reports to support your child.

12/01/2026

𝟱-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰

Stories like this remind us why timely access to care matters.

Jasmine recently shared her experience with our Shrewsbury clinic, explaining how long NHS waiting times left her family facing the prospect of their son starting secondary school without answers or support.

By choosing The Autism Service, they were able to access clarity sooner and just as importantly, feel listened to, supported, and reassured throughout the entire process.

“Choosing The Autism Service was honestly the best decision we could have made… From start to finish the whole process was smooth, professional, and well communicated.”

We’re proud to support families at such pivotal moments and grateful to Jasmine for trusting us and sharing her experience.

07/01/2026

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀, 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?

Many adults live with ADHD traits for years without realising there may be an underlying reason for the challenges they face at work, at home or in relationships.

Our free online Adult ADHD test is a simple, confidential starting point.

✅ Takes just a few minutes
✅ Clinically informed screening questions
✅ Helps you decide whether a full assessment may be worth exploring

It’s not a diagnosis but it is a clear first step towards understanding yourself better.

Take the free test here: https://theautismservice.co.uk/tests/adult-adhd/

02/01/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

As we step into the New Year, we’d like to thank all the families, individuals, clinicians, and partners who have been part of The Autism Service journey over the past year.

We look ahead with renewed commitment to providing clear answers, compassionate care, and trusted support to those we serve.

Wishing you a healthy, hopeful, and positive New Year from all of us at The Autism Service.

24/12/2025

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲🎄

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to thank all the families, individuals, clinicians and professionals who have trusted and supported The Autism Service throughout the year.

It has been a privilege to support so many people on their journey and we remain committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care in the year ahead.

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas, filled with warmth, rest and moments that matter. Merry Christmas from all of us at The Autism Service.