Posted on: 1 April 2026
CNWL is marking World Autism Day and the start of Autism Acceptance Month by highlighting the importance of improving our understanding of autism, how we support autistic people, and what we are doing to improve care.
Disabled Employees Network (DEN+) Co-Chairs, Vasiliki Papoutsi and Keri Stephenson:
“April is Autism Acceptance Month, and 2 April marks World Autism Awareness Day. It’s a moment to move beyond awareness and focus on understanding, dignity and inclusion. Autism is often a hidden disability. Every autistic person is different - the best place to start is by listening and asking how people want to be supported. Real change means valuing lived experience and making systems fairer, more accessible and more human - for everyone.”
Meaningful change requires a national strategy - no single organisation can do this alone. However, we can take an important first step.
CNWL is in the process of developing a new Centralised Neurodevelopmental Assessment Service for Children and Young People, designed to increase assessment capacity by 50% and reduce wait times for assessment - a meaningful and innovative step forward.
We have held meet and greet sessions with our community and are creating opportunities for Experts by Experience to share their views on our new service, and children services in general.
More details about this new service will be shared with staff, partners and our communities. Keep a look out on our news section and Trust socials.
Thank you for your support as we make these changes - we are genuinely excited about this innovative new service that will make a difference for the children, young people and families we serve.
If you have any questions, please contact: cnwl.communications@nhs.net.
Please remember: Every autistic person is different; ask them how they need to be supported. See us as individuals, not stereotypes guide. Autism Together has shared some helpful resources for Autism Acceptance Month too!
- NHS Employers Guide Supporting disabled staff in the workplace produced in February 2026.
- National Autistic Society (NAS) is hosting a free webinar on Inclusive workplaces that you can sign up to.
- A lovely video message from NAS about how we can all show up for autistic people: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/acceptance-and-awareness/how-you-show-up
- NAS World Autism Acceptance Month - April 2026 events.
- Autistica release Our World, 2030 two-minute piece captures the challenges that autistic and neurodivergent people face, while also highlighting Autistica’s work towards its ambitious 2030 Goals - a vision for a world where autistic people can lead happier, healthier, and longer lives.
- Autism Alliance UK - promoted neuroinclusion not processes and their Autism inclusion week.
- Autism Central - Siblings of autistic people animation as well as a session on Understanding sibling experiences and needs on either on the 2 April 10.30am or on the 2 April 5.30pm.
- In 2023 CNWL also launched a coproduced materials and Toolkit with Autistic People and the charity HACs - Hillingdon Autistic Care and Support to help all staff to better support Autistic people when the they attend an appointment or use service
The World Health Organisation delivered a message for World Autism Awareness Day 2026 focusing in particular on families and communities and advocating for policies that promote neuroinclusive environments in health, education, workplaces, sports and other sectors. Their virtual event will be streamed on the UN’s YouTube channel on 2 April 2026 at 6.30pm. They will have a variety of panels you can watch online: World Autism Awareness Day - EN | United Nations
In the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care recently produced an interim report outlining progress on the independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. This interim report brings together a wide range of existing data on autism and ADHD. It also helps set out the complexity behind the rising demand for assessment.
Autistic people often experience anxiety for many different reasons. Bestselling AuDHD author, Pete Wharmby, shares some good insights into what causes anxiety for many autistic people, from social interactions to dealing with transitions and sensory overload. You can watch Pete’s video here.