Camhs support withdrawn once a child's autism diagnosis is disclosed, committee told

The Oireachtas Health Committee heard that the longer a child with an undiagnosed condition goes without support, the more likely it is they will withdraw from their peer group and get “more and more depressed”.

Providing adequate mental health supports and treatment to children is vital in order to “prevent a car crash waiting to happen”, the Oireachtas Health Committee has been told.

Meeting with advocacy group Families for Reform of Camhs (the HSE’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) on Wednesday, the committee heard that it is vital that children with undiagnosed mental disorders see an intervention before they go through puberty.