The concerns have been raised by a joint Care Quality Commission and Ofsted team, following their October inspection of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in the London Borough of Bexley.
A lack of educational psychologists, which is "slowing the identification of pupils who have SEND", is among issues raised by inspectors in a letter outlining the findings sent to Jacky Tiotto, the borough's director of children's services.
This is leaving schools and families "frustrated" by long waiting times, with some pupils waiting an "unacceptably" long time before their needs are assessed.
Children on the autistic spectrum often have to wait for more than a year to acquire a formal diagnosis, inspectors also found, which delays how quickly some are able to access support in a special school.
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