5th December 2018 • My Family Our Needs
Today, the Government launches a review of the current autism strategy, which will be extended to cover both children and adults.
The Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage will say that current outcomes and life chances for children and young people on the autism spectrum are simply not good enough and must be improved immediately. The Minister will also say that the networks of care and support on offer must be strengthened.
As part of the review, government will collect evidence from autistic children, families and their carers on how to improve current levels of support.
The review will look at:
- Transforming outcomes for autistic children by ensuring they get the right support in their communities and joining up health, care and education services to address autistic children’s needs holistically.
- Ensuring that diagnostic services are developed to improve earlier diagnosis of autism in line with clinical guidance.
- Improving the transition between children and adult services, which many families find difficult, so no young people fall through the cracks, and ending the inappropriate reliance on inpatient hospital care.
- Improving our understanding of autism and all its profiles, including recently identified forms such as Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
Supporting people on the autism spectrum or with learning disabilities is one of the four clinical priority areas in the NHS’s long-term plan, backed by an additional £20.5 billion of funding a year by 2024. The review will inform the launch of the new joint adults and children strategy in autumn 2019.
Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said,
‘I want to see young people on the autism spectrum given the same start in life as any other child. Currently outcomes simply aren’t good enough, with too many autistic children falling through the cracks and not getting the care and support they need.
‘With the right support they can live happy, healthy and independent lives within their own communities so it’s vital we have a national autism strategy that works for both children and adults.’
Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said,
‘Our ambitions for children with autism are exactly the same as for all other children – to do well in school and college, find sustained employment and live happy and fulfilled lives. Schools and colleges already do a great job at supporting children with autism but we know there is more to do to make sure these young people are given the opportunity to unlock their full potential and succeed.
‘This pivotal review will help to find out how we can further our understanding of all forms of autism, improve how children and adults are supported and transform the life outcomes for people with autism.’
Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs, National Autistic Society said,
‘This is fantastic news and has the potential to improve the lives of the 125,000 autistic children in England – and future generations. We’ve seen the impact of the adult autism strategy since it was introduced almost 10 years ago. While the implementation of the adult autism strategy is still patchy, almost every area now has adult diagnosis services and a commissioner who’s responsible for autism. This has had a huge impact on waiting times for diagnosis, which are now appear far lower for adults than for children, although they are still too long.
‘It is absolutely right that the Government’s upcoming autism strategy will cover autistic people of all ages as everyone deserves better support and understanding. This is an opportunity to drive forward improvements in education, health, care and public understanding – and make sure that no autistic child or adult is held back from reaching their potential.’