Autism strategy fails to impress parent group
A proposed national strategy on autism will do little to help those affected by the condition, a group of Dundee parents has warned.
- By Grant Smith
- Published in the Courier : 13.01.11
- Published online : 13.01.11 @ 08.03am
More than 20 parents, who are members of the National Autistic Society, took part in a Scottish Government consultation on the draft document.
This makes a series of recommendations relating to the diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), assessments and interventions, resources, training and research.
Some are directed at ensuring there is greater clarity about the cost of services, while others are focused on cutting waiting lists for diagnosis and on improving the diagnostic process itself.
About one in every 100 children in Scotland is estimated to have ASD, with boys more often affected than girls.
The Dundee parents said they were "disappointed at the overall tone and substance" of the recommendations, feeling they lacked coherence or timescale.
They added, "It is disappointing to see the negativity implied where cost might be a feature."
The parents were also critical of the lack of recommendations on education — a key factor for children with ASD — and on post-education issues such as social inclusion and housing needs.
No direction
"We as a group feel that this strategy does little to solve the problems facing those affected by ASD," they said. "It has no direction, no teeth and lacks a demonstration of the real issues."
Concerns have also been raised by Dundee City Council and its NHS Tayside and voluntary sector partners, who sit on the council's additional support needs advisory group.
Responding on behalf of the group, council head of support for learning Jim Gibson said they considered the proposed strategy "to be a well-meaning and fundamentally flawed intervention."
He added, "This document appears to imply that children with this specific disability are worthy of greater attention and, potentially, greater levels of funding than children with other disabilities."
The group also felt the strategy would do nothing for people who had some symptoms but not enough for a formal diagnosis.
"If national and local government, the voluntary sector and NHS boards are all compelled to target support towards diagnosed autism uniquely, by statute or strategy, there is a grave danger that our scarce and diminishing public resources will be concentrated there to the detriment and disadvantage of others.
"If the autism strategy for Scotland is implemented, pressure groups supporting children, young people and adults with other forms of disability are likely to begin, legitimately and understandably, to seek their own legislation or national strategy," the group said.
The government has set up an ASD reference group, who will report to ministers annually, to help people with ASD and their carers get involved in making local plans for services and check support services are available.
11.34pm - 13.01.2011 Fiona Sinclair - Dunure, Scotland Report This
Oh dear, the Scottish Parliament's excuses for voting down the Autism Bill are already rebounding on it, because the same excuses are now being trotted out for the Government's Draft Autism Strategy as well. It's time to properly involve service users in making autism policy.
11.41pm - 13.01.2011 Fiona Sinclair - Dunure, Scotland Report This
The real way ahead for autism services are covered by myself in this interview for the `Politics Scotland` programme:-<br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/xk6fh/?t=25m12s
11.46pm - 13.01.2011 Fiona Sinclair - Dunure, Scotland Report This
We need statistics on the numbers of people with autism in Scotland, the requisite budget to provide autism specific services and enforceable standards for those services to hold service providers, such as local authorities, accountable to us as service users.<br /> www.autismrights.org.uk
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