Almost 1,000 waiting on autism assessment

Figures released by DoH show 866 children were waiting on an assessment in the Western Trust at the end of December, with 132 adults on the waiting list on the same date.

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan said the numbers were huge and that he believes the coronavirus pandemic is not likely to have improved matters.

“Those numbers are absolutely colossal and you can only imagine what impact this current situation is going to have on them as well.

“This is going to compound matters. I know, and I’ve heard from many families of children with autism, how difficult the whole lockdown situation has been for them: the need to change routines and create new routines.

“You have others who have been waiting a long time for a diagnosis and the support and services that generally come with that.

“It’s making things even more difficult for them. Not only do they not have the diagnosis or any help or assistance at all but now their chance of getting that diagnosis has been put even further down the road,” he said.

Mr. Durkan said the need for more investment in autism services was underlined by a new Department of Health report that estimates that one in every 25 children of school age in the north has autism or Asperger Syndrome.

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan has said it’s imperative that areas of underinvestment such as in autism services are redressed by the Executive.

Mr. Durkan was speaking following the release of figures by the Department of Health that showed 866 children and 132 adults were waiting on an autism assessment at the start of this year in the Western Trust.

He said he is concerned the 998 long waiting list is not likely to have eased given the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Executive’s Budget (No. 2) Bill being moved by the Finance Minister Conor Murphy in the Assembly today Mr. Durkan said it is vital MLAs ensure resources are being allocated to areas of clear need.

“The Budget (No 2) Bill is being introduced in the Assembly. I think it is imperative that we go through budgets with a fine tooth comb.

“We can’t understate the pressure that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the public finances but it’s imperative that we hold ministers and the Executive to account for the budget that they are putting forward for this year and the areas that have been historically underinvested in, like autism, and in areas where they have been particularly underinvested in, like the west. We need to ensure that there’s no slippage in terms of budgets allocated towards these areas,” said Mr. Durkan.

According to data released by the Department of Health there were 960 adults waiting on an autism assessment in the north on December 31. Fourteen per cent of these adults (132) were in the Western Trust. There were 2,996 children waiting on an assessment on the same date; 29 per cent of these children (866) were in the Western Trust.