Autism Diagnosis – Anna Kennedy OBE
Autism Diagnosis wait times is always in the news and across the media .I have campaigned for many years on autism diagnosis and the importance of early intervention. Promises are made however, there is very little action. I have been a founder of autism services and my autism charity AnnaKennedyonline and flooded with messages across social media about wait times for an assessment for an autism diagnosis for children and throughout recent years adults Parents are complaining of waiting between two and five years for a diagnosis for their loved one, and it is very much a “postcode lottery”to where you live,Recently, I read an article that in central London families were waiting well over 18 months for just for a referral diagnosis appointment, despite waiting time guidelines of three months.I understand the Government has yet to complete and past Health Secretaries vow to look at starting to officially record accurate figures. I have been told that their were complex reasons for the delays, including increased demand for the assessment, which had increased “significantly” in the last few years due to wider awareness about autism. More families may believe their children are on the autism spectrum due to charities like mine forging ahead to raise awareness and acceptance. The access to special needs services, which includes an educational psychologist’s report and a limited amount of free speech and language therapy on the NHS, appeared to be also a “post code lottery.” Many parents are now funding a private diagnosis due to long wait times for a full assessment which can cost upto 2k. Not all local authorities, health or education services provided equally strong support according to parents I speak to. Waiting a long time for a diagnosis means a window for early intervention can be missed.. “It can have an impact on the child, it can an impact on the school, which doesn’t know what diagnosis they are dealing with. It also has an impact on the siblings, and obviously the family and can cause wellbeing issues due to frustration and the lack of appropriate care and educational support.” Anna Kennedy OBE
