The charity has launched a campaign calling for more support in pre-school and educational settings for autistic children aged two to 19.
Findings from its policy report, Make School Make Sense, show that one in 110 children has autism, but there are currently no requirements for teachers or SENCOs to undertake training in the field.
Amanda Batten, the charity's head of policy, told Nursery World that the role of SENCOs in early years settings was 'critically important'. She said that it was possible to detect signs of autism in children from 18 months, and that early intervention was vital.
But she expressed concern that SENCOs were not legally required to have any specialist training or experience.
She said, 'The SEN Code of Practice (2001) outlines the role of the SENCO, but doesn't say they need any training or qualifications. We know that many SENCOs do a fantastic job, but we want all SENCOs to have advanced training in autism so that all children with autism and their families can have confidence that someone in their early years setting has the skills and knowledge to identify and support their needs. At present, it's a lottery.'
Just under half of parents interviewed for the research said that it took more than a year for their child to start receiving support.
Thirty per cent of parents felt that support was delayed because of a lack of 'ready access to relevant professionals or diagnostic services'.
* To get involved in the NAS 'Make School Make Sense' campaign, visit www.autism.org.uk/ campaign. The campaign is also looking for 'heroes' - people who have supported those with autism to achieve their potential at nursery or school. For more details see the website or call 020 7923 5799.