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'Exhausted' mother slams Enfield's autistic care

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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. "

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