In 2009 the National Audit Office (NAO) produced a report into the financial impacts of providing multi-disciplinary support services for adults with high-functioning autism/Asperger syndrome. The report, entitled Supporting people with autism through adulthood, has been an important resource in understanding the financial benefits of providing appropriate support for adults with autism. Read the full report here.

The cost of not investing

The total estimated UK cost of autism is around £28billion1. This averages out at £500 each year for every man, woman and child in the country. A proportion of this is wasted on services that do not meet their needs.

It has been estimated that if we include the cumulative impact of service use, the need for accommodation assistance and low employment rates:

  • for someone with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome the lifetime cost is £3.1m (Knapp)
  • for someone with autism and a learning disability the cost was 50% higher at £4.6m (Knapp).


The NAO found that if local services identified, through autism specialist teams, and supported just 4% of adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome the outlay would become cost-neutral over time. Furthermore, they found that if they did the same for just 8% they could save the Government £67million per year.

The Liverpool Asperger Team, which is the longest-standing specialist Asperger service, reports identification rates of 14%. Four per cent therefore seems a very achievable figure for newly established autism teams, thus achieving a cost-neutral level of service is an entirely realistic prospect in the medium term. Although an initial cost with identification will be placed on the NHS - estimated to be around £28million for an eight per cent identification rate - the saving for local authorities would potentially be around £105million.

It is a false economy, therefore, not to invest and plan services for people with autism.

Find out more and some examples of commissioning plans currently in place.


1 Knapp, M. et al (2009). Economic cost of autism in the UK. Autism, 13(3), pp317-336