To ask the Minister of Health (i) why, in the Northern Trust area, an educational psychologist’s statement of educational need and recommendation of support for a child awaiting an official autism assessment is not sufficient to enable the child’s family to access the Autism Advisory Service; and (ii) to outline the steps he is taking to expedite the delivery of autism assessments and corresponding support in this area.

Part (i) of this question is an issue for the Department of Education as the Autism Advisory Service is an Education Authority service.

In response to part (ii) it should be acknowledged, that there is an excess of demand for the Paediatric ASD service in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust that exceeds capacity for assessment and diagnosis & in turn for providing specialist intervention following any diagnosis of ASD & intervention to those with a historical diagnosis.

Referrals to the Paediatric ASD service in total (assessment and intervention) has increased by 55.9% between 2020/21 and 2021/22 (2,272 to 3,542 referrals) . These figures do not include the telephone consultation service, which receives on average 170 enquiries per month.

In the Northern Health and Social Care Trust a recovery plan has been initiated to attempt to address the backlog in referrals for autism assessment.

Actions within this plan include:

Continuing to offer the Telephone Consultation Service - This service was established during Covid to support all families known to the Paediatric ASD service (those awaiting ASD assessment and those with ASD) to provide advice to manage immediate needs impacting on daily life, to share resources and signpost to appropriate supports. Continuing offering overtime clinics for diagnostic assessment

To apply diagnostic referral criteria to allow appropriate triage into correct assessment care pathway

To design a streamlined person centred care pathway for Looked After Children who require ASD assessment and to provide intervention & support to those with ASD/ those awaiting assessment

Further extend a pilot joint CAMHS/ ASD assessment model to all trust areas which provides a streamlined person-centred process for accessing ASD assessment for young people with significant mental health difficulties that require on-going input / support from Specialist CAMHS

Working in partnership with multi-disciplinary teams (MDT) supporting GP surgeries to streamline GP referrals where MDT will assist in the recording of development histories as part of a child/young person’s referral to the ASD diagnostic service (increase capacity within ASD service)

Further developing online intervention supports and webinars to release staff for further diagnostic work