Services to autistic children in Northern Ireland are failing “miserably”.
That’s the view of Shirelle Stewart, who is the head of the National Autistic Society (NAS) in the province.
Shirelle Stewart of the NAS says services to families in Northern Ireland have not kept pace with the growing need
Stewart said despite a “year-on-year increase in people being diagnosed with autism, investment in new services has in no way kept pace with demand”.
Three-year wait for assessments
In some parts of the province, children are waiting up to three years for autism assessments. For adults, the wait is even worse, at five years.
Figures from the 2021 census show that autism rates in Northern Ireland stand at almost 5.25 per cent for children up to 14.
A study by Newcastle University said that across the UK as a whole, 1.76 per cent of children have autism. It means that Northern Ireland’s figure is almost three times higher.
No functioning government
Northern Ireland has had no functioning government since May 2022, due to a row over post-Brexit trading arrangements.
And concerns are growing that this also impacts services available to children and families.
Rachel Hogan works in the legal team at the Children’s Law Centre, in Belfast.
She said she is “extremely concerned” about the impacts on children and young people on the autism spectrum caused by “severe difficulties” in getting the health and social care services they need.
Hogan suggested the lack of a functioning government is also causing difficulties.
‘Escalation in anxiety’
She said she was aware of an “escalation in anxiety and mental health difficulties” among the Law Centre’s autistic clients. She added that the system was “not equipped to respond adequately in the absence of an executive”.
In a statement, Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said it is consulting on a new autism strategy.
It is “meeting with people with lived experience of autism” who would be encouraged to “tell us what support would be most helpful and where improvements to services are required”.
Related:
- Expert slams N Ireland special education
- Education authority ‘breaks law’
- Families left waiting for SEN statement
- Northern Ireland funding ‘not enough’
- Commissioner slams support in N Ireland
- N Ireland schools ‘almost in crisis’
- Call for autism schools in N Ireland
- Radical N Ireland school plans blasted
- N Ireland pay hikes at top despite cuts
- Parents take action over N Ireland cuts
- Cuts hit ‘crucial help’ in N Ireland
- Parents defy dire services in N Ireland
- Huge increase in diagnosis in N Ireland
Published: 1 March 2023
