Funding and staff needed to make HSE's autism assessment 'feasibe', experts warn

The warning from the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) came as one family has been told of a seven-year wait for services after they finally managed to get an assessment of need done under the current system.

More funding and staff are needed for the autism assessment that was announced this week to even make it "feasible” in many cases, one of the main professional bodies involved has said.

The warning from the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) came as one family has been told of a seven-year wait for services after they finally managed to get an assessment of need done under the current system.

The autism assessment system is to roll out from July, the ministers for health and disability as well as the HSE said this week.

They are hoping it will take attention and pressure away from the assessment of need process, where families face delays of 27 months or more in starting at the moment.

Initial reaction to the new assessment was mixed, and now the Psychological Society of Ireland has raised questions about the plans.

Psychologists are one of the professions on the new in-reach teams being created to support existing HSE services to do this new assessment.

The Psychological Society of Ireland called for “stronger governance structures, appropriate recruitment, and resourcing” among other issues. It also called for more structured supervision of clinical practice in the HSE. 

It called for “a greater focus on workforce culture “ across mental health, primary care, and children’s disability teams. 

“Without adequate workforce planning, additional funding, and increased capacity across HSE children’s services, implementation will be challenging and, in many cases, not feasible,” it said.

The organisation has been closely involved with the process, saying the effort to improve autism and neurodevelopmental public services is welcome. It noted the focus on offering access in a more timely way to families.

Assessment through the courts

Meanwhile, the gap between assessment and starting to have services seems to be growing.

Gareth Noble, a children’s rights solicitor with KOD Lyons, has supported a number of families in getting an assessment completed through the courts.

He was shocked this week when one of those families came back with devastating news, he said.

The child in this case “met the definition of disability following an assessment of need”, he said.

However, the parents were “advised in writing that there will be no services or interventions for that child before November 2033".

In a statement on X, he said: “Immediate action is needed to vindicate the rights of such children.”

There is a statutory right to assessment but not to services.