ADHD and autism pathways and support

PDF Published: Friday 30 Jan 2026 (HSCSS062026R02 )

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Overview
Report

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Overview
Report
- Membership changes
- Summary of recommendations
- Introduction
- Background
- Referral pathways
  - Accessing pathways to support
  - Treatment thresholds and 'gatekeeping'
  - Open referral
- Waiting
  - Waiting lists
  - Impact of waiting times
  - Reasons for long waiting times
- Assessment and diagnosis
  - Assessment process
  - Impact of receiving a diagnosis
  - Impact of not receiving the right support or diagnosis
  - Private diagnosis and shared care
- Transitions
- Role of third sector
- Whole society approach
- Data
- Annexe A: Extracts from the Minutes of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Meetings
- Annexe B: Official Reports of meetings of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Sources

Health board responses to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee letter, March 2025.

Image: Figure 1: Number of children waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments in Scotland, March 2025

Image: Figure 2: Number of adults waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments across health boards in Scotland, March 2025

Image: Figure 3: Map of regions where adult neurodevelopmental assessments are available.

Scottish Parliament. (2025, October 7). Official Report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/HSCS-07-10-2025?meeting=16632

Scottish Parliament. (2025, September 30). Official Report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/HSCS-30-09-2025?meeting=16615

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Scotland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support inquiry. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=paediatrics&uuId=736696176

NHS Grampian Speech and Language Therapy Service. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=grampian&uuId=1044069745

National Autistic Society Scotland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=national+autistic+society&uuId=965426327

Anonymous. (2025). Response to Your Priorities consultation on ADHD and?ASD pathways and support. Retrieved from https://engage.parliament.scot/group/31500

Letter from the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing to the HSCS Convener. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support-inquiry

Scottish Parliament. (2025, October 28). Official Report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/HSCS-28-10-2025?meeting=16642

NHS Ayrshire and Arran. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=ayrshire&uuId=390787214

auticon. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=auticon&uuId=1063914705

Scottish Ethnic Minority Autistics. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=ethnic&uuId=97183418

Correspondence from National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) in response to the Inquiry into Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Pathways and Support. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/nait-adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support-inquiry

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=royal+college&uuId=918951488

Children's Health Scotland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=children&uuId=93752000

Correspondence from STAND to the HSCS Convener with further information following giving evidence 30 September 2025, 6 October 2025. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/follow-up-from-stand-to-hscs-committee-6-october

ARGH Scotland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=highland&uuId=700741489

Scottish Parliament. (2025). Notes from informal engagement with people with lived experience of autism and ADHD. Retrieved from Informal engagement with people with lived experience of autism and ADHD

Heriot-Watt University. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=heriot&uuId=847213624

Correspondence from SWAN in response to the Inquiry into Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Pathways and Support. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/swan-submission-adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support-inquiry

Response from NHS Lanarkshire Neurodevelopmental Service School Team. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/nhs-lanarkshire-response-following-request-from-convener-after-7-october-meeting

Scottish Autism. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=scottish+autism&uuId=215967496

The Scottish ADHD Coalition. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=adhd&uuId=958931286

NHS Highland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=highland&uuId=847520021

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=pharma&uuId=578962660

Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=general&uuId=926357814

ADHD Right Now. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=adhd+right&uuId=370078436

Salvesen Mindroom Centre. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=salves&uuId=63789442

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=cosla&uuId=3643742

Scotland Yard Adventure Centre. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=yard&uuId=794629729

Letter from Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson to the HSCS Convener, 4 November 2025. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-health-social-care-and-sport-committee/correspondence/2025/cosla-letter-from-children-and-young-people-spokesperson

Stronger Together for Autism and Neurodivergence. (2025). Response to the call for views on the ADHD and autism pathways and support. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/health/adhd-and-asd-pathways-and-support/consultation/view_respondent?show_all_questions=0&sort=submitted&order=ascending&_q__text=stronger+together&uuId=69091332

Last Updated: 14/7 4:06pm

Image: Figure 1: Number of children waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments in Scotland, March 2025

Image: Figure 2: Number of adults waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments across health boards in Scotland, March 2025

Image: Figure 3: Map of regions where adult neurodevelopmental assessments are available.

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