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Role of CAMHS in assessing children with suspected autism-spectrum disorder in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Norbert Skokauskas
Affiliation:
Blanchardstown Child Guidance Clinic, Linn Dara CAMHS, Blanchardstown Road North, Dublin 15, Ireland, email: N_Skokauskas@yahoo.com
Tom Moran
Affiliation:
St James's Child Guidance Clinic, Dublin
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Abstract

Type
The columns
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2008

Ireland's national policy on mental healthcare services A Vision for Change (Department of Health and Children, 2006) describes the role of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the assessment of autism as limited to consultation on difficult diagnoses and specialist episodic treatment of acute psychiatric disorders. However, in 2007, Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 became law and gave children with disabilities under 5 years of age entitlement to an independent assessment of their health and education needs, and a service statement identifying the services to be provided. Assessment officers oversee and coordinate the assessment and ensure that a report on its result is provided (Government of Ireland, 2007).

Our survey revealed that a quarter of the 214 children aged less than 5 years old who were referred to five Linn Dara CAMHS in Dublin (covering south inner city, south- and north-west Dublin and Co. Kildare) in the 10 months since the Act became law, were for autism-spectrum disorder assessment. In line with the recommendations of A Visions for Change, the majority of these referrals were considered inappropriate and effectively 80% of children referred for autism-spectrum disorder assessment were not seen.

Clearly this is not meeting the needs of children, and Linn Dara CAMHS, together with other CAMHS in Ireland, eagerly await the recommendations of the group set up by the Health Service Executive to clarify their role in the assessment of children with suspected autism and to make interim arrangements pending the development of the appropriate assessment services.

References

Department of Health and Children (2006) A Vision for Change. Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy. The Stationery Office Dublin.Google Scholar
Government of Ireland (2007) Disability Act 2005. The Stationery Office Dublin.Google Scholar
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