PARENTS of children with suspected autism face waits of up to 18 months due to a huge backlog of referrals.

There are currently 252 youngsters in South East Essex awaiting tests. Of these, 151 are over five-years-old and 101 are under five.

Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group is now considering investing more money into autism assessments to clear the delay and cope with growing demand.

Out of the 252 patients on the waiting list, 125 are from Castle Point and Rochford.

In a report to the group’s governing body, a spokesman said: “Projections based on April to November 2015 figures suggest that the Castle Point and Rochford waiting list will continue to grow at a rate of approximately five patients a month unless actions are taken to increase access to assessments and reduce the current waiting lists.

“Castle Point and Rochford waiting time from referral to assessment is on an average 14 months, with some families waiting up to 18 months.”

The group is considering taking action to reduce the waiting time and bring it in line a national three month target.

In order to achieve this, it is looking to increase its current £65,000 budget by £355,000 - bringing it to £400,000.

The governing body will vote on whether to approve the investment at a meeting next Saturday.

A spokesman for the Basildon and Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group said children are seen for an initial assessment within 18 weeks - despite a spike in demand.

He added: “There has been a significant increase in demand for autism spectrum disorder assessments nationally and we are experiencing an above average incidence of referrals.

“In the Brentwood and Basildon locality. all children and young people are referred via a single point of access and are seen for an initial assessment within 18 weeks.

“Some children and young people may receive a diagnosis at this stage while others are referred for further specialist assessments. These services are run by the North East London NHS Foundation Trust.”

Southend Clinical Commissioning Group did not respond before the Echo went to print.