Vol. 550 No. 2
269 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Mid-Western Health Board region will be awarded a diagnostic team for autism; if the region will be awarded an early intervention team consisting of a child psychiatrist, senior clinical psychologist, social worker, speech and language therapist and occupational therapist for children suffering with autism in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7673/02]
The provision of services to persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism in the mid-western region is a matter for the Mid-Western Health Board. The board has a diagnostic team for persons with autism in place since 1996. It is currently developing an early intervention team for children with autism in each of their catchment areas.
270 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department have facilities in place to assess the diets of autistic children, as many require diets free of gluten and other substances and many improve when placed on a new dietary regime; if facilities do not exist here for the evaluation of dietary schemes for autistic children, the locations where this specialist testing is carried out; the cost to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7674/02]
Like any child, children with autism may have co-incidentally another condition such as coeliac disease. In such circumstances a special diet, for example, gluten free would be prescribed. There is no universally accepted policy for screening children with autism for a variety of hypothetical disorders. The quality standards sub committee of the American Academy of Neurology approved 9 June 2000, states as regards diagnostic testing:
There is inadequate supporting evidence for hair analysis, coeliac antibodies, allergy testing particularly food allergies for gluten, casein, candida and other moulds, immunologic or neurochemical abnormalities, micronutriants such as vitamin levels, intestinal permeability studies, stool analysis, urinary peptides, mitochondrial disorders including lactate and pyruvate, thyroid function tests or erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase studies.
These guidelines are being regularly reviewed by my Department.
