Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
634. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the main initiatives undertaken by his Department since 27 June 2020 to improve access to early diagnosis interventions for those with autism spectrum disorder and access to subsequent primary services such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychologists, more generally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56040/21]
View answerAdditional funding of €7.8 million was provided to the HSE in August last year to address the issue of a backlog of Assessments of Needs for children. This initiative has resulted in approximately 6,040 children having had their Assessment of Need completed since then, thus reducing the backlog to 520 cases, or a 92% reduction, at the end of September.
To further address waiting times, the HSE implemented a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Assessment of Need process from January 2020 to ensure that children with disabilities and their families access appropriate assessment and intervention as quickly as possible and that the approach to Assessment of Need is consistent across all areas.
A Preliminary Team Assessment, usually undertaken by a Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) will identify initial interventions and any further assessments that may be required. While not required by the Act, diagnostic assessments will continue to be provided, as appropriate, and these will be captured in the child’s Service Statement as part of the Assessment of Need process.
These improvements, particularly the new Preliminary Team Assessment, will facilitate children with disabilities to access assessment much quicker. This is borne out by the latest data I have from the HSE which indicates that over 90% of children who have had a Preliminary Team Assessment are referred for intervention.
