CAMHS Waiting Times for Neurodivergent Children (2026)

If your child has been referred to CAMHS for an autism or ADHD assessment and you have been told the wait is long, you are not imagining it. Children’s mental health and neurodevelopmental services are under more pressure than at any point in recent years, and waits for a first appointment can stretch from months into years. This page explains what the figures actually show, why the wait is so long, and what you can do in the meantime.

How long is the CAMHS waiting list?

There is no single national CAMHS waiting time, because services are commissioned locally and report differently. The national picture, though, is stark. According to NHS Benchmarking Network data, around 255,000 children and young people in the UK were waiting for community mental health care as of 31 March 2025. Roughly 30% were seen within four weeks, but more than a quarter (27%) waited longer than 18 weeks.

For neurodevelopmental referrals — autism and ADHD in particular — waits tend to be longer than for other reasons, because demand has risen fastest in this area. YoungMinds reported that 78,577 young people referred to CAMHS waited over a year for treatment in 2023/24, a rise of more than 52% on the previous year, and that 34,191 waited more than two years. In some areas the delay is even greater: one Greater Manchester service was, in late 2025, allocating neurodevelopmental appointments from referrals it had received back in October 2022.

The honest summary: depending on where you live, a CAMHS neurodevelopmental wait can be anything from a few months to three years or more.

Why are CAMHS waits for neurodivergent children so long?

The wait is a sign of a system under strain, not a reflection of your child’s need. A few things drive it: referrals for autism and ADHD have risen sharply as awareness has grown; there are not enough specialist clinicians to keep pace; and years of funding pressure have left backlogs that services cannot clear. Because CAMHS covers both mental health and, in many areas, neurodevelopmental assessment, neurodevelopmental referrals often sit in the longest queues.

Is CAMHS the same as an autism or ADHD assessment?

Not always. How children are assessed depends on where you live. In some areas, autism and ADHD assessments run through CAMHS; in others they go through a separate neurodevelopmental pathway, community paediatrics, or a dedicated ADHD or autism service. If you are not sure which route your child is on, your GP or the service that took the referral can tell you. For a fuller picture of the assessment itself, see our guides to autism assessments and ADHD assessments.

What can you do while waiting?

A long wait does not mean nothing can happen. Support does not depend on having a diagnosis first.

• Ask your GP and school about interim support. Schools can put help in place under SEN Support without waiting for an assessment.
• Ask about NHS Right to Choose. In England, for autism and ADHD this can let you choose an approved provider for an NHS-funded assessment, often with a shorter wait. Note that some NHS areas paused new Right to Choose bookings in early 2026, so check what applies locally before counting on it.
• Get free, independent advice. Your local SENDIASS service supports families through assessments, school support and delays.
• Consider a private assessment if it is right for your family. Our cost calculator shows realistic UK price ranges, and a private report can still support an EHCP request.

For more detail, see NHS waiting times for children’s SEND services and our guide to what to do while waiting for an NHS SEND assessment.

Sources

• Children’s Commissioner for England — children waiting for mental health support
• YoungMinds — increase in young people waiting over a year
• NHS England — Community Health Services Waiting Lists

These figures are estimates drawn from published data and vary by Integrated Care Board and local service. Always contact your local NHS service for the most accurate, up-to-date information. This page is for planning and is not clinical advice. Data reviewed: June 2026.