Gino Kenny urges urgent fix to autism assessment delays

Thanks everybody for their discussion so far. I'd like to commend the regional independent group in relation to this very very important bill and there's been much discussion in regards to challenges that autistic people face and you know there's been as I said since my time in here there's been a lot of discussion now whether we've got any progress that's kind of up for interpretation and there's been a better of understanding of autism particularly in the last 20 years in society. and resources have been put in place there's no doubt about that and that's that's good that's kind of that's progress but there is huge inequalities in relation to challenges that autism people face and services and that's what it really really comes down to because assessment and early intervention is absolutely key and when parents come into my constituency office on the Monday or Friday they come in about issues around intervention for their children my heart absolutely sinks my heart sinks so much that because I know them them parents are on a road a very very very difficult road in relation to getting services and if they're coming to TDs the system is broke let's be honest the system is broke and not only is the system broke but the parents are broke because they're obviously trying to get intervention for their children and they're that intervention is not there then they have to go to the courts because you have a ludicrous situation where the disability act is breached numerous times and this is just a ridiculous situation and I'm sure the minister understands that this is not sustainable for anybody's situation so on one hand they've put in the forms a documentation for an intervention they can't get it and then they're taking the HSE to court so that is literally a ludicrous situation and waiting times minister is on average on average and I know we discussed about this on average for OT speech and language is two years now again again that's just not sustainable you know and it's not acceptable and I know you're trying to address them issues and they're not going to be done overnight but they need to be done very very very quickly as soon as possible because burdens are really kind of struggling and children are struggling I mean children that you know need these services because once services are put in place outcomes are dramatically different dramatically different from what you know what could be and once children do not get them services because I've seen my former job I worked in them services like that once children do not get services like that the outcomes are dramatically different for parents and the child themselves once the services are put in you know children can flourish they get confidence in themselves they become kind of you know they deserve them interventions and once they're not given minister you know the outcomes are pretty pretty bad so I think you know we want you know we want to see progress progress has been done but there is enormous inequalities but there is enormous inequalities and them inequalities come down to the basics the very very basics of them interventions because if we can't do that minister then you know we are not addressing the real issue is when them children come so look at there is a better understanding there's no doubt about that there's been services put in in the last particularly last two decades because before people with autism were in some ways completely alienated and put into all sorts of services and you know I'm not going to go through all that and were completely alienated marginalised from society so there's a better understanding but the kind of the major hole in services is when it comes to the early intervention and if you can get the early intervention and even the six months you know the timeframe around the assessment needs if that's done if that's done and even that's kind of you know obviously that's breached numerous times if that can be addressed and people can get them services such as I outlined then the outcomes will be better not only for the child not only for the parents but society as a whole thank you