North Wales MS and Chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Autism, Mark Isherwood, has voiced concern that the needs of Autistic people, and people with other lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions, are still not being understood by Public Bodies in Wales.
Speaking in today’s Senedd Short Debate, ‘Pathways from referrals to diagnosis and beyond: the challenges of living with autism and other neurodivergent conditions’, Mr Isherwood referred to a number of specific cases in North Wales where Local Authorities have failed to provide Autistic people, and their families, with the support they need because they have not understood their individual needs.
He said:
“Autism is covered by the 2010 Equality Act, requiring understanding of and adjustments for Autistic service users, each of whom is a unique person with individual needs, just like everyone else. However, although Autism Spectrum Conditions are not mental health conditions, I continue to hear daily from people with lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism, or their families, that Public Bodies have failed to understand individual needs and make adjustments accordingly, causing heightened anxiety and meltdown.
“For example, in Flintshire, children taken into care, with the parents blamed, have a specialist report observing that the children's behaviours are consistent with Autism, but the Council refuses to refer them for diagnosis.
“In Denbighshire, a Mum wrote that her son had been waiting for an Autism diagnostic test for 18 months, but ‘as he has not been assessed, the school is unable to access support such as educational psychology and Autism outreach’. And a final example in Flintshire: a family whose son, who has an Autism diagnosis, had a very serious meltdown, after which a Council Legal Executive wrote 'It would be inappropriate for the Local Authority to assume your son's mental health state without health diagnosis’.”
Mr Isherwood added:
“Until services are truly designed, delivered and monitored with neurodiverse people, their families and carers, lives will sadly continue to be damaged in this way.”