Autism assessments up 91.5 per-cent, says Western Trust

There has been a drastic increase in the number of children seeking ‘autism diagnosis assessments’ in the Western Trust region, the Health authority has pointed out, though cautioning that resources issues impact their ability to cope with the additional demands.

Responding to claims from an Omagh GP that the Western Trust are not sufficiently financed to deliver an early autism diagnosis for local children, a spokesperson from the body pointed to the rocketing referral rates for ‘assessment’.

Last week, local councillor and respected GP, Dr Josephine Deehan, warned that the Western Trust does not have the resources necessary to deliver an early assessment of the condition.

In response, the Trust have said that referral rates for an ‘autism diagnosis assessments’ went up 91.5 per-cent between April 1, 2016 and March 31,
2023.

In a statement released to the Herald they point out: “This significant increase in referral rate means that the service does not have the capacity to meet this need which has resulted in longer waiting times and increased waiting lists.

“With an increase in the number of children and young people with a diagnosis of autism within the Western Trust area, the service has seen an increase in the number of historical cases presenting for ongoing support and intervention, many of which are complex.

“This has placed increased pressure on the service which has not received any additional investment to support the increased number of children requiring assessment and the increased number of children in the Western Trust area who have a confirmed diagnosis of autism.”

Outlining how the current system of services operates, the Trust went on to explain:

“Our Children and Young People’s Autism Service has been developed to offer early intervention, assessment, diagnosis, support and intervention for children and young people who are presenting with characteristics commonly associated with autism,” they continued.

The Trust add that the assessment process is tailored to the individual needs of each child and their family and involves multi-professional specialist assessment.

“ Following a diagnosis, a range of supports can be availed of, including: Online parent intervention sessions; Information and advice via clinical helpline; Individual or group intervention with members of the multidisciplinary team; Referral to Education Authority Western Region specialist supports including Autism Spectrum Advisory Service and Youth Club Buddy scheme; Family support/Social supports including onward referral to family support contracts with an external provider, community and voluntary sector and/ or appropriate community supports; UNOCINI/Carer’s Assessment; Applications for consideration of Self-Directed Support; Intervention and support from other health services as appropriate.”