Our new research: the economic case for autism
The London School of Economics (LSE) has published a new report, commissioned by the Autism Alliance UK and Autistica, exploring the economic case for prioritising autism in policy and reform.
The report has been led by Professor Martin Knapp and a team from the LSE’s Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, who have reviewed a wide range of evidence on services and supports across education, employment, health and social care.
The report finds that:
There is a strong economic case for prioritising autism in policy and reform. Providing the right support for autistic people and their families can lead to significant economic benefits and more cost-effective spending of public funds.
This economic case goes alongside the social and moral responsibility to improve outcomes for autistic people. The continuing inequalities and stigma they face are as shocking as they are unacceptable.
Some services and supports have both evidence of impact and evidence of economic benefit, and the LSE recommend some of these services and supports are scaled now, and some are evaluated further before scaling.
There are also gaps in evidence, and a need for the Government to act to address these gaps.
In all cases, it is critical that research is shaped and informed by the voices and insights of autistic people and their families.
The report concludes that the National Strategy for Autistic Children, Young People and Adults should be used to marshal the evidence on services and supports for autistic people, address evidence gaps, and push this evidence into the big programmes of reform the Government has committed on SEND, health and social care. This should include urgent work to develop and publish the five-year Research Action Plan for autism committed in the National Strategy in 2021, but so far not delivered.
The Autism Alliance UK is calling for real change for autistic people and their families, reflecting the lack of progress in improving outcomes despite the Autism Act 2009, successive Government strategies and many commitments. To see real change there will need to be action to address barriers at the system level, across accountability, funding and culture – as well as investment in the right services and supports.
The voices of autistic children, young people and adults, and their families are the clearest guide to the reforms required across policy and services. Alongside this, economic evidence will be an important factor in the decisions the Government will take at a national level, and in commissioning decisions taken regionally and locally, and in this context we hope the new report is a helpful additional contribution to policy development and implementation.
The report has been shared with Government Ministers and officials, as well as with key figures across the NHS and local government. The Autism Alliance will be following up the report’s recommendations with the Government, and evidence from the report can be drawn on by all those advocating for real change for autistic people and their families.