http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News&story_id=14568

25 February 2001

 

 

Autistic children wait a year for diagnosis

By Sarah-Kate Templeton Health Editor

Publication Date: Feb 25 2001

 

A SCOTTISH NHS trust has admitted that autistic children are waiting an “unacceptable” length of time to be diagnosed with the disorder.  Highland Primary Care NHS Trust has disclosed that many children have been waiting “well over a year” to see a specialist.

This weekend politicians and autism groups claimed that the delay between the onset of autistic symptoms and an appointment with a consultant for a diagnosis is blurring clues to the cause of the condition.

Mary Scanlon, conservative health spokeswoman and reporter to the Scottish Parliament Health Committee on the suspected link between the MMR vaccine and autism, said:

“What we are looking for in the medical records is whether the child develops normally up until 15 months. If the autism was linked to the MMR we would expect to see signs of the condition soon after vaccination. If the child has to wait for well over a year to see a spec ialist then it is more difficult to find the cause. This makes it more difficult to pinpoint any alleged link with the MMR.”

The letter from Highland Primary Care NHS Trust, seen by the Sunday Herald, says that the Communication Clinic at the Royal Northern Infirmary in Inverness, which assesses children for autism, cannot cope with the number of referrals.

It states: “The present team inherited a lengthy waiting list and is still currently reviewing more referrals than they can deal with in the time available to them. Numbers of children have been waiting well over a year.”

It adds: “We are in the process of reviewing the Communication Clinic within Highland and hope that we will be able to extend the current service being provided. We are well aware that the current waiting times are unacceptable and hope this can be reduced following our review.”

Dr Teresa McArdle, consultant community paediatrician at the clinic, says the inability of health specialists to help pat ients is “difficult and distressing.” She said: “I am conscious that colleagues are seeing a marked increase in the number of children with autistic spectrum disorders. We are more aware of the problem but there has also been a genuine increase in numbers, there is no doubt about it.

“It is difficult and distressing to professionals that we cannot offer the service that these children require. I have been telling the trust that we need to make this an acceptable service and I hope that when it’s clear to them how much pressure we are under they will attempt to get funding from the health board.”

Autism groups point out that in order to treat autistic children it is crucial to begin educational programmes and special diets early. They say this is impossible if a child’s illness has not been identified.

Bill Welsh, of Action on Autism, said: “Early intervention is vital with autism. The earlier that educational techniques are introduced the better for the child.

“In addition, many autistic children benefit from dietary chan ges. The lengthy wait for diagnosis legislates against the autistic child and the child’s family. Many of these children will have associated bowel problems which go unexamined and untreated while waiting.”

Jane Hook, chair of the Scottish Society for Autism, believes the situation in Inverness is reflected across Scotland. She said: “I recognise this situation from elsewhere in Scotland. In my own case I knew that something was wrong two years before I managed to get a diagnosis for my daughter.

“At the moment there are so many children waiting for a diagnosis and what this does not show is the length of time people are waiting even before they get on to the waiting list.”

Last week fears over the safety of the MMR were fuelled by figures which show that the incidence of autism in Scottish children had risen by almost 20% in a year.

Next month the Scottish parliament Health Committee is expected to approve a report calling for the introduction of single vaccines for the childhood diseases of measles, mumps and rubella. Politicians on the influential cross-party group are expected to rule that, although evidence of the alleged link between autism and the MMR vaccine is dis puted, single vaccines should be introduced to protect children who would not otherwise be vaccinated due to the scare.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.