Guest guest Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/8207618._Exhausted__mother_slams_Enfiel\ d_s_autistic_care/ 'Exhausted' mother slams Enfield's autistic care 4:10pm Tuesday 8th June 2010 By Lowe » A FRUSTRATED mother from Ponders End is throwing her support behind a national autism campaign following an uphill battle to obtain care for her son. Anita Kelleher, from Exeter Road, says she has been " pulling her hair out " for two years after Enfield Council put up " obstacle after obstacle " to avoid paying out. Her son, six-year-old Dylan, was diagnosed with austism in September 2008, but was turned down twice for a special educational needs (SEN) statement, despite recommendations from an educational psychologist. The 41-year-old received the statement in December 2009 after threatening to take SEN services to tribunal, but only for 15 hours of care. This was extended to full-time care after she requested a second tribunal. Ms Kelleher, who left work two years ago to look after her son, has now asked to take the council to tribunal a third time to secure at least 60 minutes of speech therapy and 45 minutes of occupational therapy for Dylan a week, as recommended by a specialist. She said: " I am absolutely exhausted. I'm just constantly frustrated and pulling my hair out. " It just doesn't seem to matter how much documentation I have - from child psychologists, speech and language therapists, paediatricians, nursery teachers - the computer just says no. " Ms Kelleher said she has also been waiting months for a referral to the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), an NHS organisation - but CAMHS blamed a miscommunication and said she has already been receiving specialist autistic care. She is now supporting the National Autistic Society's (NAS) campaign " To Need to Know " , launched today, which aims to tackle " an unfit mental health system " . There are currently more than 100,000 children with autism in England, but the charity claims two-thirds of these are not receiving the care they need due to lack of expertise in the field. Mark Lever, chief executive of the NAS, said: " Too many children with autism are developing preventable mental health problems and find themselves up against a broken system that doesn't understand them or their needs. " Parents and professionals alike are crying out for more autism support. " Ms Kelleher, who spent £250 for Dylan to see a private specialist in 2008 after NHS doctors failed to diagnose him, said: " It was the best £250 I ever spent. Most professionals you see are not trained in autism. This is the truth across the board. " , spokesman for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, sad: " CAMHS offer the expertise of various professionals including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and educational psychologists. " We offer a highly specialised service for children who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, which also aims to equip parents with the skills and knowledge they often require. " We also provide a separate service which looks at children's social and communication skills. " A council spokesman said she was unable to give detailed comment on the matter because of the pending tribunal. She added: " We have followed all the guidance in this matter and carried out the recommended procedures. " The child does have a statement of special education need. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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