Autism Parents Campaign For Fair Treatment
Saturday, December 17, 2005 (12:29:50)

Posted by sylvia

News Letter October 2005

By Anne Palmer

Parents of children with autism have called for a concerted effort from the Government to deal with the condition.

After several legal challenges over the right to suitable education and growing concern at the increase in the number of children being diagnosed, the parents met new Children's Minister Lord Rooker in a bid to enlist his support.

Backed by Ulster Unionist peer Ken Maginnis, they called on Lord Rooker to examine the incidence and assessment, provision and financial commitment for dealing with children with autistic spectrum disorder.

Gordon McKenzie from Fermanagh, who is the father of an autistic child, described the condition as the fastest-growing disability in the western world.

Referring to a 250 per cent increase in Northern Ireland in the past five years, he said no-one was looking seriously at the possible causes.

"Based on these statistics, autism should receive around half of the money allocated to childhood illnesses but, in practice, it receives less than five per cent," he said.

"Every leaflet, book or website you read emphasises the importance of appropriate early intervention as the key to a favourable prognosis for your child."

As in other parts of the Province, parents in the west have waited nearly two years for speech therapy and four years for an occupational therapy assessment.

After diagnosis, there are no key workers or care co-ordinators to follow up treatment plans.

Mr McKenzie said investment in early intervention therapy would provide a cost benefit, because untreated children carry a lifetime cost to the state.

"A proposal to place control of autism services under mental health suggests the health service really has no serious commitment to allowing autism sufferers the quality of life that is their legal right under human rights legislation," he said.

Lord Maginnis said many questions needed to be asked, including whether provision of early intervention is uniform throughout the four board areas in Northern Ireland, and if there was a comprehensive departmental strategy, as the condition straddled health and education.