Can a GP refer my child for an autism assessment?

Yes - a GP can refer your child for an NHS autism assessment, and you do not need a diagnosis first; in some areas a SENCO, school or health visitor refers instead. Waits are commonly 1-3+ years (2026).

Who can make the referral

Your GP is the main route. The NHS says GPs can often refer a child to the local autism team. But the door you knock on depends on your child's age and where you live. For a school-age child, some areas ask the school to make the referral, usually through the SENCO (the teacher in charge of special educational needs). For a child not yet at school, a health visitor may need to refer. The National Autistic Society describes the same pattern: GP first in most places, an education professional or CAMHS in others. So "can a GP refer" honestly answers as "in most areas, yes - but check what your local team accepts".

You do not need a diagnosis, but a referral is not a diagnosis

You do not need a confirmed diagnosis, a prior assessment, or any test result to be referred. Noticing autistic traits is enough, whether you spotted them or your child's nursery or school raised them. The child or young person should be part of the conversation and agree to the referral where they are old enough to.

Being referred is not the same as being assessed. NICE recommends that the assessment should start within three months of the referral reaching the autism team. The reality is far longer. As of March 2026, around 270,000 people had an open referral for suspected autism, and roughly nine in ten had already waited longer than the 13 weeks NICE recommends (NHS England Digital). Waits of one to three years or more are common, so getting the referral made is the start of the wait, not the end of it.

If your GP will not refer

A hesitant or refusing GP is not the end of the road. You can:

• Ask which local service takes autism referrals - some areas route them through school or a community paediatric team rather than the GP.
• Ask your child's school or SENCO to make the referral if the GP says that is the local route.
• Ask for a second opinion, or put your request in writing so there is a record of it.

In England you can sometimes use Right to Choose to pick an NHS-funded provider with a shorter wait, but it is not universally available - several local NHS areas have paused or capped it, so check before you rely on it. Our sibling answer on what Right to Choose is for autism and ADHD explains how it works, and how long the NHS waiting list runs sets out the current waits. If you are not sure your child meets the threshold to be referred, how to get your child assessed for autism on the NHS walks through the whole route.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.