Autism Diagnosis
Debate between Nick Thomas-Symonds and Bambos Charalambous(6 years, 7 months ago)
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Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered a waiting time standard for autism diagnosis.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth. During the last general election campaign, I attended a hustings in Enfield, Southgate organised by the local branch of the National Autistic Society. Following that meeting, and after further discussions with constituents and others on issues related to autism, I decided to request a debate on the matter. During this debate, I will briefly describe the effects of autism and explain the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s diagnostic assessment standard. I will also question why that standard is not being adhered to, explain the impact of late diagnosis and propose a way forward to the Minister.
As some people may be aware, autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to others and makes sense of the world around them. It is a spectrum condition and affects individuals to varying degrees.
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab)
All my constituents who contacted me about this issue are very concerned about the time taken for diagnosis. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is important to have a consistent approach right across the country—like in Wales, where last year the Welsh Government introduced a national autism strategy?
Bambos Charalambous
My hon. Friend makes a valid point: consistency is required across the range.