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A plan has been reversed to restrict the number of children eligible for an autism diagnosis via NHS services.

Sirona, which runs services in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, said it had to narrow criteria due to a 350% rise in demand.

Parents and carers opposed it and threatened to take legal action.

The regional integrated care board scrapped the plan earlier and said it was committed to learning from young people and their families.

Children are currently routinely waiting up to two years for an assessment.

To deal with this, Sirona had planned to limit assessments to children whose educational placement or whose family was at risk of breaking down, and to children in care or on a protection plan.

It would have also prioritised those with "severe and enduring" mental health difficulties, those involved with youth offending services and children with low levels of communication.

Sirona argued that even without a diagnosis, children with autistic traits who did not meet the assessment criteria could have their needs met in schools and other settings.

'Really relieved'

But campaign group Assess for Autism argued that by focusing only on the most severe cases, more children, whose needs could other wise have been managed effectively, would reach crisis point.

It raised £5,000 through crowdfunding to bring a legal challenge against Sirona.

Following the announcement earlier of the reversal, Jai Breitnauer, one of the founders of Assess for Autism, told BBC West: "We are really relieved, we didn't want to go through the judicial re. Send your story ideas to:bristol@bbc.co.uk

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