UK Autism Crisis
“Tens of thousands of children waiting months and years for help after demand rockets”
The UK has announced an “autism assessment and support crisis.”
Please note that AUTISM itself is not a crisis. That can never happen.
There an increase in demand for assessments, but THERE IS NEVER MORE AUTISM.
We are to believe that while the actual autism numbers have never increased, recent findings reveal that there are TENS OF THOUSANDS of children waiting to be assessed for autism.
That can’t be good because there are currently endless news reports about how schools are struggling to deal with the tidal wave of children on the spectrum. Imagine thousands more qualifying for support and services.
A report on February 2nd described how dire the situation is. Getting assessed for autism qualifies students for special education services.
Calls for urgent reform to autism assessments in South Yorkshire
A report claimed the system in England is in "crisis"
There are calls from the former Children's Minister for urgent reform to how children are diagnosed with autism….
The report stated: "A major barrier in our existing systems is the perceived need for a medical diagnosis of autism before any child can receive support."
It argued that the health system "simply cannot meet the demand for all such assessments", and said that "in turn, this can prevent timely access to the essential help a child needs in school".
The report added: "From an educational perspective, this lack of equitable provision can result in children 'failing while waiting' because of system failures."
According to NHS figures published in September 2023, there were 157,809 patients in England with an open referral for suspected autism.
Analysing existing data, the report said the number of children waiting for an autism assessment had tripled since the pandemic.
There was a lot more coverage on the “autism assessment crisis,” but I’m sure, like past stories about autism, it will quickly fade from the public sphere.
Covid is mentioned in a number of stories as if somehow the soaring numbers are only happening because of the lockdown.
“Unsustainable pressure”
Autism Assessment Crisis: Thousands of Children Wait Months and Years as Demand Soars 300% Post-Covid
New analysis reveals autism assessment and support crisis with tens of thousands of children waiting months and years for help after demand rockets by over 300% since Covid. ….
Report reveals more than one in four parents have waited over three years to receive support for their autistic child.
Just one in ten children receive an appointment within the recommended 13 week waiting period….
The report’s analysis reveals a system under unsustainable pressure.
In September 2023, there was a 27% rise in new autism referrals over the last year.
In July 2022, more than 125,000 people were waiting for an autism assessment by mental health services, an increase of 34% since the previous October. By July 2023, this number had risen to more than 143,000. Figures published in September 2023, show there were 157,809 patients with an open referral for suspected autism.
93% of children did not receive an appointment within 13 weeks of being referred.
Never enough funding
In Leeds in the north, it’s an uphill fight.
Leeds City Council's deputy leader Jonathan Pryor said the council had increased the number of [Education Health Care Plan] EHCP's in 2023, but admitted they were still behind.
He said the council faced a drop in funding and income at the same time it was seeing demand "going through the roof".
"The government say they are giving more money than ever before to education which is true, but there are also more children than ever before," he added.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education previously said it was increasing funding by 60% for special and alternative provision places to £10.5bn [$13.2B] in 2024.
‘This is yet another damning report’
In Suffolk, in East England, the East Anglian Daily Times stated the reality: “Suffolk is failing children with special needs.
Suffolk's children with special educational needs are still being failed despite several warnings according to a damning new OFSTED report which says families have been let down.
The report follows an inspection of the service in November - and demands improvements before officials return in 18 months' time….
"Families experience long waiting times for services, such as for autism assessment and diagnosis.
"Often, children’s needs are not clearly identified or articulated in their plan.
From Birmingham in the west Midlands: they have to cut costs
Special needs families whose children and young people rely on transport service among those facing crushing cuts
The council has to provide some services by law but anything else is at risk as it faces up to a £300 million [$379M] black hole in its finances.
“Clearly this is unsustainable”
From Devon in SW England came an opinion piece that laid it on the line.
Our council wants to do what’s best for children By John Hart, leader of Devon County Council
Devon in close discussions with the Department for Education to tackle children's budget deficit
…across the country - top tier local councils like Devon are struggling with huge deficits on their SEND budgets.
The national education fair funding campaign f40, of which Devon is a leading member, estimates that nationally some £4.6billion [$5.8B] extra is required to provide all the help required.
In Devon, our cumulative deficit is likely to be £162million [$2.5M] by the end of this financial year.
Clearly this is completely unsustainable….
Money from the national government comes with the admonition that local councils have to cut special education costs.
Locally we are in close discussions with the Department for Education on what's called their safety valve programme. This is a national scheme which is aimed at providing financial support to councils with SEND deficits.
In return, the DfE wants to see evidence from us about how we are containing costs and improving the service we are providing for our vulnerable children.
So one of the fundamental planks of our plan is to reduce the use of costly independent provision by around a third in the next six years and that would equate to some 360 places.
We also want to see more children attending their local school with suitably qualified teachers and carers available to them.
And we are rapidly expanding the places we can offer in our own special schools.
Significant investment by Devon and the DfE should see us able to expand our special schools by just under half and provide 525 extra places by 2025.
No one is alarmed over “tens of thousands of children” WITH AUTISM, only “tens of thousands of children” WAITING for an autism assessment.
Clearly they are worried about the price tag that comes with all these children. As head of the Devon County Council said, “Clearly this is completely unsustainable.”
And when that finally happens, the COST OF AUTISM will force everyone to honestly address the CAUSE OF AUTISM.
Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
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I am not sure how the U.K. diagnoses autism?
I probably am behind the times on how it is diagnosed in more modern times.
But I know how it was back in the 80s. The health care never meet anyone's needs when it comes to autism, back then and for the next 20 years.
I ran around for six years, trying to get help after I witnessed vaccine reactions, before receiving an autism diagnosis. Then when I was finally told at the end of the first grade (not by health guys, but the school psych with her test) I still had no idea that PDD-NOS was autism. What I did know was his health was horrible, he caught every thing.
That said
Here is a little nugget that might help some newer parents?
The microbiome is suppose to be messed up.
Candida, a background yeast that gets out of control.
For those of us that have done the Keto diet- and experienced the keto flu four days in.
Keto flu everything hurts, and some even have a severe itching in the private regions like a yeast infection for a brief few hours. Dr. Atkins in his book way back in the 90s did document this in his book, but he did not know why.
Dr. Mercola; yesterday brought back an interview and article on Candida from 2016. Then introduced recent - NEW research. Candida needs zinc to grow. Candida when it gets low on zinc releases zinc seeking proteins called pH-regulated antigen (Pra1). Our immune system is very reactive to this antigen. This is what causes the itching.
Since a keto diet is a diet full of zinc rich foods like meat and nuts, but low on carbs, Candida is stressed for food period,not just zinc. I bet it releases the Pra1 in a low carb situation as well.
Oh, and if you have Candida sucking up all your zinc, how well can the immune system fight off infections with a low amount of zinc due to Candida using it up.
Posted by: Benedetta | February 08, 2024 at 10:16 AM
Our local new built school 2 years ago,had a much bigger special needs department more than what was required two thirds more.It is now over flowing with kids that dont fit into mainstream.One of the teachers told me it was never built to take the numbers now in the school as above 2 years ago it was nearly two thirds more than required.When will enough be enough and vaccines are held to account.
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | February 07, 2024 at 05:38 PM