DELAYS in the assessment of autistic children are due to a national increase in requests for diagnosis putting pressure on health services, Bournemouth council says.

At a recent meeting, Councillor Rae Stollard asked the borough cabinet how long a family must wait for a diagnosis and how many autistic children there are in the borough.

Cllr Nicola Greene, cabinet member for children's services, said: "Waiting times are variable depending on the route of the referral and availability of the team.

"Diagnosis clinics run monthly and see 12-15 children and young people and rely on observations, diagnostic tools and gaining meaningful evidence from other areas.

"It is acknowledged that there is a national increase in requests for ASD diagnosis which has had an impact of health services’ ability to respond in a timely manner and has had an impact on waiting times."

She said the latest data showed 110 primary pupils, 103 secondary pupils and 51 pupils in post-16 education with autism diagnoses, as well as 23 under-fives.

"We have considerable expertise within our schools and academies in Bournemouth, with Linwood School providing outreach and expertise to other settings," added Cllr Greene.