EXPERTS have warned the wait for an autism diagnosis is ‘through the roof’ due to the impact of the pandemic.
Autism assessments are carried out by specialists, mostly through a referral from a GP.
The National Autistic Society states that adults are most likely to be referred to an assessment centre or local Clinical Commissioning Group, with private diagnosis an option too.
For children, coronavirus has increased waiting times as remote diagnoses are more difficult to undertake.
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Dee Nic Sitric, lead consultant at Oxfordshire-based Autism Champions, said: “There’s always been a waiting list for an autism diagnosis, however it’s going up.
“The services are completely overstretched, but the focus should be on what the child is presenting.
“There should be a standard support put in place, whether that be the curriculum adjusted or something else.
“The day families get a diagnosis, nothing changes though – the day to day doesn’t change.
“Children will still feel anxious, they’ll still be self-harming or struggling to form friendships.
“If the support goes in earlier, then there’s a higher chance of helping the child.
“CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) is looking at how families can be supported pre-diagnosis.”
Speech and language therapist Nicola Lathey is founder of The Owl Centre, which offers autism assessments in Oxford.
She said: “We work with children in schools and NHS commissioning groups, and since the pandemic started, we’ve picked up six contracts with NHS trusts to carry out autism diagnoses.
“There’s an absolutely massive backlog for diagnoses.
“With things being different in schools, some children have really struggled with that loss of routine.
“The waiting lists for autism diagnosis have gone through the roof.
“Private companies are carrying out assessments in order to tackle the backlog.”
Sue Moon, a speech and language therapist who focuses on adults and young people with autism, runs Moon Therapy, near Banbury.
She said although queues for an autism diagnosis have always been lengthy, having to try and diagnose remotely due to Covid-19 has exacerbated the problem.
“The service for diagnosing autism is incredibly stretched, there’s a massive upturn in the referrals we’re getting,” she said.
“People have always had to wait for a long time but it’s very difficult to diagnose remotely.
“The impact on families is huge if a child has to wait four years for a referral, it’s a long time for a child.
“Schools need the information to know how to support their children.”
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