A comparison of a specialist autism spectrum disorder assessment team with local assessment teams.

Background: Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is of crucial importance, but lengthy delays are common. We examined whether this issue could be reliably addressed by local teams trained by a specialist ASD assessment team.

Method: Four local teams were trained in diagnostic assessment. Their assessments of 38 children and young people using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) were video recorded and independently assessed by the specialist team.

Results: There was a high level of correspondence between the diagnoses of the local teams and of the specialist team. The number of assessments carried out increased and there was a considerable reduction in waiting times.

Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the potential feasibility of creating local, multi-agency ASD assessment teams, which will serve to reduce waiting times, improve clinical skills at a lower level of specialism and thereby improve the overall quality of ASD services.