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Boy's Death: Autism Diagnosis Delay Ruled Out
27 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Coroner found autism diagnosis delays didn't contribute to 12-year-old's death.
- Boy was expected to receive autism diagnosis posthumously.
- Coroner ruled the death was not a suicide and was unforeseeable.
A recent inquest has determined that delays in diagnosing a 12-year-old boy with autism did not contribute to his tragic death. Riley Townsend, from Nottinghamshire, passed away in September 2024. His family had been seeking an autism diagnosis for three years prior to his death, facing multiple delays throughout the process.
Despite these delays, Coroner Amanda Bewley concluded that the lack of a formal autism diagnosis did not minimally contribute to Riley's death. The inquest revealed that Riley was, in fact, scheduled to receive an autism diagnosis in October 2024, a month after his passing. The coroner found no missed opportunities for intervention.
Furthermore, the coroner ruled that Riley did not intend to take his own life, stating his death was not foreseeable. While acknowledging Riley struggled with emotional dysregulation and impulsivity, the evidence suggested his actions were not a deliberate suicide attempt, but rather a consequence of his neurodiversity.
