Frustrating times!

Windows Live Hotmail: "Assessement of need‏
From: Zarah Doyle (zarahdoyle@live.ie)
Sent:09 March 2010 21:21:01
To: info@maryharney.ie; emmet.stagg@oireachtas.ie; minister's_office@health.irlgov.ie

To whom it may concern

Please can you help me, My son has been to see the pediatrician & Early intervention team at **** hospital they have told me he is on the autism spectrum. In order to be seen by **** hospital we had to wait since a referral by our GP in May 2009 until February 8th of this year. The only way they can diagnose him officially is by a clynical psychologists report. I have now been advised we have to wait for a further six months. He turned four 11th January. He should have been starting school in September and now I'm afraid my hands are tied for school applications as I do not possess a clynical psychologists' report. I have been to see the local mainstream schools principal and he believes that because my son is not a threat to his peers, he will not be permitted a special needs assisstant for the classroom, due to cut backs. My son does not have the fine motor skills to open his lunch box without assisstance!

I applied for the assessment of need last august through *********** hospital, in November 2009 we moved to Co.Kildare and we were told by our Public Health Nurse we would have to reapply to Kildare to go at the bottom of their waiting list. Legally we were told we should have been seen within 3 months.
However we were four months on waiting list in Dublin and now on list in Kildare to be told it will be another 6 months plus before we get anywhere!

Everyone I have spoken to has told me early intervention is key and yet time is flying by us while on a waiting list!!


I am positive we are not the only family in this situation but this is such a ridiculous set back. He requires constant attention and we can not apply for any entitlements without a diagnosis. My Husband and I both work full time, we have a nine month old baby and we need some sort of assisstance on this.

The cost of a private assessment in this country in unaffordable to say the least. Speech therapy is at a crippling cost.

It is my sons right as a person with autism to an accessible, unbiased and accurate clinical diagnosis and assessment.
Could someone please help me on this! all I am asking is for what he is entitled to, Education and health services!!





Regards
Z Doyle