10. a spectrum of obstacles and sen support

www.england.nhs.uk/learningdisabilities

Emily Christou - Westminster

Commission on Autism, National

Children’s Group

A spectrum of

obstacles and SEN

support


Emily Christou – National Strategy Coordinator


Why access to healthcare?

• Because things have changed since the Autism Act of

2009

• Large, high-quality Swedish study by Karolinska

Institutet in British Journal of Psychiatry in Nov 2015

• Autistic people in Sweden die 16 years prematurely in

almost all cause-of-death categories


Submissions to inquiry:

• 900+ autistic individuals, parents and professionals

responded to a Survey Monkey survey

• Parliamentary Evidence Sessions (Select Committee

style) with


Avoidance, Inertia, Neglect and Isolation

• Dr Yo Dunn told the Commission that “A large

proportion of autistic people ‘struggle to do stuff’ even

when highly motivated to achieve the task and no

matter how much information is provided. Many need

prompting and other support in order to achieve

everyday tasks including taking medication, making

and attending appointments and other health-related

tasks.”

• “In the Community” or socially isolated.


The difference between Autism and LD• Staff – No specific staff

• Data – No GP register

• Health checks – No Annual Health Checks

• Leadership – No National Clinical Director

• Inspection – No autism-specific questions in CQC inspections


Recommendation One: Training


Recommendation Two: Inspection


Recommendation Three: Data


Recommendation Four: Annual Health Checks

• Anonymous national primary care register is in place

• NHS England should use it to guide its work to reduce health inequalities for autistic people as outlined in the Government’s Mandate.

• NHS England should consult with autistic people regarding the introduction of annual health checks to ensure that their unmet health needs are detected and treated and that they have a Health Action Plan in place.

• Such checks should be introduced if research evidence suggests they would be effective.


Recommendation Five: Leadership


Recommendation Six: Resources


What can you do?

10. a spectrum of obstacles and sen support

Healthcare

Transcript of 10. a spectrum of obstacles and sen support