The research has identified a significant gap between the understandings of autism and the housing needs of autistic people as represented in strategy and how the needs of autistic people, particularly those of children and young people are actually being identified and met in policy and practice.

The report was commissioned by Housing Options Scotland following a steep increase in calls from clients saying that their requests for spaces (for example, children having their own room or the family having a private garden) were not being considered.

Of the 129 housing association allocation policies reviewed, 21 (16%) featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’, and only 4 of the policies (3%) awarded medical priority or points in reference to the medical needs of autistic people.

Of the 26 local authority allocation policies reviewed as part of the research review, 2 (or just under 8%) featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’. None of them featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’ / ’neurodivergence’.

In contrast, 22 of the 32 (or 69%) of the Local Housing Strategy documents reviewed featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’. Four of these strategies also featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’.

Autism has been the focus of governmental strategies over recent decades.

More than 1 in 100 people in Scotland are autistic. According to the latest pupil census, 5.24% of children attending school in Scotland are autistic. Autistic children and their families have specific housing needs. In the experience of Housing Options Scotland, finding the right home to meet these needs can be challenging, particularly during a housing crisis when social landlords and local authorities are under extreme pressure.

In order to better meet the needs of autistic children, the housing charity is calling for strategy to be translated into policy and practice and for more to be done to understand autism.

Autism is often misunderstood. In the social housing sector, this can mean that families are allocated a home that does not meet their needs, causing unnecessary stress and in some cases, family breakdown and homelessness. More training and research would help prevent this.

As well as greater understanding, there is scope for more discretion for RSLs and social landlords to allocate according to need. The report identifies instances where housing providers will award some kind of points or priority to families with autistic and neurodivergent children who need more space, even if their allocation policy does not explicitly say this. More could be done in this area, if more training was provided to understand the needs of families with autistic children.

Moira Bayne, CEO at Housing Options Scotland, said: “We absolutely recognise the extraordinary pressures that social landlords and local authorities are under during the housing crisis. Often the rationale is that housing a family in any house is better than not at all. The fall-out from not getting it right can however come at a far greater cost.”