THE number of children referred for assessment for autism in Worcestershire has shot up dramatically.

Councillors heard the situation means the length of time for referral to diagnosis is too long - and that the answer may be to tighten up the system so fewer children are referred in the first place.

Philippa Coleman, children’s health services commissioner at County Hall told councillors on Worcestershire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board that in 2016 there were 20 referrals a month to the Umbrella Pathway - the means by which children are assessed for autistic spectrum disorders.

But now, it is receiving more than 100 referrals a month.

It means the length of time for referral to diagnosis varied from 79 days to nine times that length at 721 days, with the average being 379 days, just over a full year.

Ms Coleman said: “Symptoms and behaviours may suggest autistic spectrum disorders, but there can be other reasons for that which can be helped by early support.”

She said a tighter referral process would allow the assessments and diagnoses for those children who were accepted on the pathway to be much quicker.

However, Elizabeth Challacombe, 30, who has an eight-year-old son who was diagnosed with autism, greeted the suggestion with alarm.

She said: “It is very stressful waiting for a diagnosis because you have no support during that time and you feel left in limbo for a long time. You need an Education and Health Care Plan, what used to be called a statement, otherwise schools don’t get the funding for one-to-one support and children without it have to stay in mainstream schools

“This proposal is a great concern because the population is growing and yet the proposal is just to restrict access to the Umbrella Pathway to more children. Those children with less extensive needs will not be supported and more and more children will be excluded, and excluded permanently, from mainstream education because without support their behaviour will deteriorate.”

Miss Challacombe, who lives in Worcester, set up the online support group Autism Kids Worcester.

It offers a place for parents to ask others with the same experiences for advice and support and friendship.

Miss Challacombe added: “We sometimes meet up and people arrange play dates as well.”

The committee will decide on a recommendation to make on the issue to cabinet.