The report, commissioned by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, claimed that some children have had to wait as long as three years for a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

Children and young people with the syndrome, their parents and professionals involved in their care told researchers from the University of Birmingham about their concerns.

The commissioner, Patricia Lewsley, said she was shocked to learn about the experiences of children and young people, which included bullying by their peers and lack of understanding from teachers.

"There are ongoing difficulties with waiting times for diagnosis with, in some cases, waits of up to three years," she said today.

"The report also said that there is not enough support or information for young people and their families. Government policy and practice is not being consistently applied, resulting in a postcode lottery."

Ms Lewsley said she was moved by the stories young people told researchers.

"When you read about children being hit because of their illness or being called 'weirdo' you can understand the despair they must feel," she said.

"But when you read that a young person believes they were singled out and put down by a teacher you know that we need to support those children now."

The commissioner said she would be drawing the report's main recommendations to the attention of the Government and the new education and health authorities immediately.

"Our recommendations encompass a wide range of changes that need to be made," she said.

"Some of these affect the way services are delivered, such as making sure good practice is shared across Northern Ireland, and some urge the new health and education authorities here to make sure they consider services for children with Asperger's Syndrome when plans are developed.

"But today I want to remind all service providers that time is ticking away for each and every child with Asperger's Syndrome as they grow up and face the challenges highlighted in our report."