*Kieran O’Loughlin with his five year old son Jack. Photograph: Natasha Barton
154 children in Clare are currently waiting for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment in what is an eighteen month long backlog.
Although the amount of children in the county waiting for an assessment has dropped from 206 in May, the backlog continues to worry parents across Co Clare. A child who requires an assessment to access a special class (pre-school or school) or special school placement is prioritised for assessment by the Clare Children’s Disability Network Team.
A spokesperson for HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare told The Clare Echo, “lack of an ASD diagnosis is not a barrier to accessing support from Clare Children’s Disability Network Team”. Clinicians involved in the assessment are also responsible for providing support to the child and family after a diagnosis is made, “they must constantly balance their time between progressing the ASD waiting list with the need for supports to children and families following their assessments. Both are vital in the support of children with complex needs”.
Ennis native Kieran O’Loughlin has told The Clare Echo of his growing frustration and worry as his five year old son Jack has been waiting over eighteen months for an ASD assessment with no clarity provided on a potential date. “We can tell that he needs this little bit of help, if he got his assessment and was diagnosed he would get more support. We can see in comparison with his sister and even in school we can see signs that he is on the spectrum”.
Changes in Jack’s behaviour have been noticeable as the wait continues, Kieran admitted. “Jack finds it difficult at times to control his emotions. Sometimes he would play his sister but if she was tired or something, he would get quite frustrated if she wouldn’t play with him, he might turn that to hitting her or scratching her or some form of violence to get a reaction out of her”.
Jack received an exemption to do a second year of pre-school for his social development, the assistance of staff at the Naíonra Céimeanna Beaga was lauded by Kieran. “He is five now, I don’t think there is any harm in him doing the second year of pre-school, we do want to see him progress to primary school next year and to move on with friends he has made in school and be like any other boy in school. He needs his assessment, the sooner the better to help Jack long-term”.
Much worse cases exist across the county, Kieran believed as a result of the wait for an assessment. “Pre COVID we had long assessment times for autism, it has only been exasperated now. Kids have suffered a lot with COVID, missing school and missing out on clubs and sports, there could have been a lot more done for these wait times, a plan should have been put in place to help the situation, I know they couldn’t do assessments at certain periods of time but they could have had a better plan to speed up assessments when restrictions were relaxed,” he said while adding that similar services “could have been brought back sooner because they are beyond essential and really needed to continue”.
Clare Children’s Disability Network Team have provided the option of remote appointments, a spokesperson flagged. It is one of six such teams in the Mid-West with approval recently received for a seventh.
There has been an approximate 8 percent growth year on year for the Mid-West’s Children’s Disability Network Teams caseload. In 2012, the CHO3 caseload was 2,796. In July 2021, the caseload now stands at 5,855 including the waiting list. The profile of children accessing the teams has changed considerably over the years with a significant increase in ASD and behavioural challenges. In 2016 the average percentage of Children with ASD on the Caseload was 48%. In 2021 this average has risen to 69% across Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary.
