Dr Lisa WilliamsClinician

Biography

Dr Lisa Williams is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Autism Service (registered as Shropshire Autism Service Ltd), a clinician-owned private network of clinics offering ASD and ADHD assessments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. She qualified as a clinical psychologist from Bangor University in 2012 and subsequently worked in three NHS neurodevelopmental teams, leading on diagnoses for preschool children through to older adults. She founded The Autism Service in 2019 in response to gaps in timely, reliable assessment provision for children and adults with ASD. Dr Williams campaigns for the introduction of quality standards across all providers of neurodevelopmental diagnostic work and is a public advocate for face-to-face assessment methods. She is regularly quoted in national and regional media on the risks of over-diagnosis, NHS waiting-list pressures, and SEND system reform, and has provided expert commentary to BBC News and The Independent.

References

1. 1.Dr Lisa Williams | Our Clinicians | The Autism Service — Current role title, founding of the service in 2019, qualification from Bangor University in 2012, NHS background, advocacy for face-to-face assessment and quality standards
2. 2.Leading Psychologist Warns Against Over-Diagnosis of Autism in Sheffield – The Star — Press coverage quoting Dr Williams on over-diagnosis risks, NHS waiting list pressures, and The Autism Service's diagnosis rate (~60%) versus services reporting near 100%
3. 3.Our Latest Press Coverage | The Autism Service — BBC News and FE News coverage quoting Dr Williams on SEND reform; press quotes on autism diagnosis trends and paracetamol research
4. 4.SHROPSHIRE AUTISM SERVICE LTD – Companies House — Registered company details: company number 11757559, registered office Charlesworth Court, Knights Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, SY1 3AB; incorporated 9 January 2019
5. 5.

Expertise

Cited on

• Mental health
• Learning disability & autism

Stated areas of expertise

• Autism and ADHD assessment and diagnosis
• Neurodevelopmental diagnostic standards
• Over-diagnosis and diagnostic integrity
• NHS waiting lists and access to assessment
• SEND system reform
• Private provider quality and regulation

Notable achievements

• Founded The Autism Service in 2019, growing it from a single Shrewsbury clinic to a network of clinics across the UK offering ASD and ADHD assessments to children and adults, with some placements funded by the NHS, local councils and His Majesty's Prison Service. Source ↗
• Provided expert commentary on BBC News during its live coverage of the government's proposed SEND system reforms in England. Source ↗
• Won the Outstanding Woman in Healthcare award at a Women in Business awards ceremony (date unspecified), as reported on her LinkedIn profile. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “Conditions such as autism and ADHD are notoriously difficult to diagnose and only qualified, regulated professionals following clinical standards of care should be assessing patients for them.”

  Founder and clinical director, The Autism Service · Mental health · 27 Aug 2026 · A better understanding of mental ill health is crucial | Letters ↗

• “To the layperson, it can be difficult to tell when an adult is masking their autistic traits, as the very point is to hide the more unusual parts of their interpersonal style. Signs of masking include conversations sounding pre-planned or scripted, and interactions not being sustained due to fatigue.”

  Clinical director and founder of the Autism Service · Learning disability & autism · 27 Aug 2026 · Think your parent is neurodivergent? Here’s what you need to know ↗

Source references

1. A better understanding of mental ill health is crucial | Letterstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. Think your parent is neurodivergent? Here’s what you need to knowtheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://theautismservice.co.uk/clinicians/dr-lisa-williams/
• Websitehttps://www.theautismservice.co.uk/published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lisa-williams-9173491a9/
• Press office emailenquiries@theautismservice.co.ukpublished here ↗
• Press office phone0300 303 0667published here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.