Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes Autism Service

We provide specialist autism assessment for adults (18+ years) for people with a registered GP in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. 

Our service is 'neuro-affirming'; we do not use deficit-based language. BLMK Adult Autism Diagnostic Service has been co-designed and produced with autistic people. 

The experiences you share with us from referral and throughout all stages will add to the outcome report you will be given on discharge. This will include a clear rationale for how we reached our diagnostic decision. 

The service operates on a multi-disciplinary model of local and community-based assessment, working alongside other Health Services (specialist & primary care), Local Authorities, independent and voluntary services.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 

• We are not able to provide urgent or crisis support to individuals who are waiting for an appointment with us. For urgent support with physical or mental health issues, click the red "I need help now" link at the top of this page.

• We are commissioned to provide autism diagnostic assessments, but we are not commissioned or resourced to provide therapeutic interventions or other support to autistic people. However, psycho-education is embedded in our practice.

• Demand for autism diagnostic assessments has increased significantly across the country in recent years, for various reasons. This means that increasing numbers of people are trying to access the same specialist clinical services, resulting in longer waiting times for appointments. We appreciate that it is frustrating having to wait for long periods for an assessment and we are consistently working on ways to increase service capacity and reduce waiting times. However, the situation remains extremely challenging and various factors can cause timeframes to fluctuate, making it difficult to give precise information when people ask how long they will wait for an appointment.

• Currently people are waiting approximately 14 months for a Pre-Assessment (initial appointment) and 3½ - 4 years for a Diagnostic Clinic appointment with a senior clinician. Please note that these timeframes are estimates based on our current service capacity and demand, hence could be subject to change over time due to ongoing operational factors which arise.

• If you move out of our area (Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes) and register with a new GP, please let us know. It may be necessary for us to discharge you from our service, but we can give advice about accessing an assessment elsewhere.

News and Updates:

November 2025

• We have been working with Talkback, based in Milton, who provide support groups led by autistic people to help build to help build community and connection. ‘In-person’ groups are currently available for people living in Milton Keynes, with plans to offer these in other locations for people living in Bedfordshire and Luton within the coming months. Online groups are also available and can be accessed by people across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. These services are available to autistic individuals (confirmed diagnosis), as well as those waiting for a clinical assessment or who think they might be autistic (undiagnosed). More information is available from Talkback. Tel. no.: 01494 434448 or website: https://talkback-uk.com/our-services/ 

Want to make a referral to our service? Complete our Referral Form.