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Aithisgean Chomataidh
Research Briefings
Brathan-ullachaidh Rannsachadh
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Ais-eòlas
Published by The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
ADHD and autism pathways and support
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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
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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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
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