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Original poster

Capping the number of children diagnosed with autism

190 replies

roundtable · 27/05/2017 08:37

Did I just hear that correctly on the news? The couple of sentences that they gave about it before moving on.

I'm hoping I've misunderstood but wtf?

That is not reasonable.

So once we've limited the amount of people with autism, what group of people do they move onto next?

Did I hear it correctly and are they being completely unreasonable? Without a doubt

OP posts:
Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 27/05/2017 18:13

Thanks for the 'mild' autism pics! That's exactly it, like a duck appearing calm on the surface of the water but paddling madly underneath Sad

Giddyaunt18 · 27/05/2017 18:22

I heard this and thought Hmm

Whirltime · 27/05/2017 19:05

I have to agree totally with polter about the 'mild' autism.
My husband was diagnose 2 years ago in the appointment the psychiatrist suggested for me to go though assessment. So i started the process the person who did the access assessment he stop the assessments after 10 minutes told me that he would refer me though to see the psychiatrist and that he was 99% sure i am autistic. I was diagnosed at 29 and had lived 14 years with a misdiagnosis of bi polar. Since being diagnosed with autism alot of things have made more sense and made me more accepting of who i am. I honestly felt crazy and unhinged before and hide (with great detriment to myself) who i was. I no longer do and feel alot more comfortable with who i am.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 27/05/2017 19:09

I think it was in one area and if there was no coexisting condition.

Perfectplonker · 27/05/2017 19:22

I think it was in one area and if there was no coexisting condition

I think we all know this was just to gauge public reaction.

It should have been a non story. But they are testing the waters.

'Fucking cunts' is about as articulate as I can get in this subject.

AgainstTheOddsNo2 · 27/05/2017 19:29

It's a spectrum disorder though so it is wrong to say that people who are capable of masking or who can generally cope (with support) don't still struggle.

As a person with more than the odd trait myself I am yet to be entirely convinced of what benefit an official diagnosis would be when the support dd needs is already in place. I am also undiagnosed and while I admit life would have been easier if I understood what was "wrong" with me, having an understanding now allows me to settle things in my head but an official label would not be of any benefit.

AgainstTheOddsNo2 · 27/05/2017 19:32

Though I have to admit with secondary school looming ever closer the balance is starting to tip in that direction and I intend to discuss it with the school at the next parents evening.

My GPs are inconsistent and many of them appear not to know their backside from their elbow and I feel that seeing them maybe needlessly stressful for dd

Shamefuldodger · 27/05/2017 19:44

My life was abject misery before diagnosis.

It's still no picnic. I can't work, can't be left on my own, have no friends, struggle to leave the house, mentally scarred from years of physical and sexual abuse from a partner and strangers (so so easy when you are isolated and can't read the body language/ tells that scream 'you are in danger!')

But at least I feel like it's not all my fault now. I'm not a defective human being and no matter how alone I feel I know there are actually other people like me.

I've started to become less ashamed of my obsessions (attic and rooms full of notes, stories, children's books I've written) and have started to think I can be happy being me, instead of having to hide away.

That's a long self ventured monologue there I realise (thanks to my autism support group grin)

But I wanted to show exactly what a diagnosis meant for me.

Please, we can't let them take that away from children who need it.

I've seen it in my daughter, they can be helped before they ever get to this stage.

SquirmOfEels · 27/05/2017 19:45

I think it's about testing the waters too, for the CCG to decide which services to ration, and by how much.

At present the diagnostic services for autism in that area are set up to handle 750 assessments per year. They are running at twice that.

Polter · 27/05/2017 19:50

Shame Flowers

I just know that if I had been diagnosed as a child my life would have been immeasurably better. Getting diagnosed in my 40s and finally knowing why I struggle and having a reason to ask for help and supports means I can do things I never could before.

Shamefuldodger · 27/05/2017 19:59

Absolutely Polter Flowers

I try not to dwell on what could have been. I know it makes me Mum very sad, she cries whenever it has come up when talking to doctors etc.

But I can already see what a massive difference it is already making to my dd.

She is being supported, that's what her diagnosis meant for her. She will know she isn't the only one and she will not be quite as vulnerable to abuse because of that support.

She could have a good life. Not an easy one, but a good one.

The thought of that safety and help being taking away from children because they don't meet a quota makes my blood run cold.

There isn't a lack of money. There is an ideology choking the resources from the NHS.

blankface · 27/05/2017 20:05

Once again, the linear spectrum from mild to high is trotted out on MN, as though it's a scale Angry

Try this, it may help with understanding what autism is.

the-art-of-autism.com/understanding-the-spectrum-a-comic-strip-explanation/

NameThatPrune · 27/05/2017 20:17

How could this even be legal? Not diagnosing something because too many other people have been diagnosed that week. WTF? Is this where the cuts to the NHS are going? This is so scary.

LottieandMia · 27/05/2017 20:29

'How void this be legal?'

The Tories want to scrap the human rights act Angry

TheresaMayJeremyWill · 27/05/2017 20:32

I hope what I'm about to write makes sense...
I think the precedent has already been set in mental health services. It started with adult services - pretend there is no problem, blame the person, even though they think they have done the right thing by seeking help. More recently this has crept into CAMHS (possibly even worse than adult services, whereas they use to be much better and people would find a cliff-edge of zero support and a totally different attitude aged 16+). As public opinion has become more informed and accepting (relatively) the political wheels are already spinning the other way.

It started with mental health - the emotional, "awkward" ones, not the "obvious" psychotic ones, the ones it's easy to dismiss because their problems are just life, right? Should toughen up (style of thing). Hmm Then autism - because there is an air of pushy parents and special snowflakery for some... Then it'll be other invisible disabilities. Then visible ones...

I loathe those in power who lie and manipulate people. Most people, when push comes to shove, do actually care, do have that will inside them. Can you image how things would be now if altruism had been encouraged, rather than consumerism?

helpimitchy · 27/05/2017 20:40

I don't know how they can just decide to piss on someone's core identity in this way.

There are numerous other groups that they wouldn't dare do this to Angry

BeyondStrongAndStable · 27/05/2017 20:49

Theresa, they've already started on eds - lots of diagnoses downgraded to "hyper-mobility spectrum disorder" Angry
Which is of course taken less seriously despite potentially worse problems!!

helpimitchy · 27/05/2017 20:49

Yeah, we had the run around with camhs for 13 years on and off.

Ha, I'm even seeing it with gallbladder problems. They're just not interested unless it's completely fucked and you're in sepsis.

I wonder how they're going to persuade the public to accept that they won't be treating cancer any longer, or send you straight home when you're in the middle of your stroke or heart attack.

I remember a radio article years ago about how the country of Kazakhstan basically had no health provision whatsoever due to I can't remember what now. I was shocked and saddened obviously.

We're fucked aren't we?

Perfectplonker · 27/05/2017 20:53

We're fucked aren't we?

I genuinely believe that if a miracle happens and the conservatives don't get it, that we might not be.

Farahilda · 27/05/2017 20:56

If it's Merton, that's a Labour area.

All areas are having to look at how they afford services. Not many come up with an idea like this, though.

But I don't see how they can keep running with a caseload twice as high as it's meant to be. Has there been a change in the demographics? Or was capacity set too low anyhow?

I suppose the idea that you get a referral when more than one cindition is suspected is designed to deal with the most needy first.

But like trusts ipwhich only deal with macular degeneration when it strikes the second eye.

herecomesthsun · 27/05/2017 21:00

If you or we do not vote to provide enough funding for the NHS to run comprehensive services then "they" don't have any choice but to
-raise the threshold of severity of the illnesses that are treated
-exclude diagnoses for which there isn't an evidence-cased cost effective treatment

Vote for a strong and stable leader and watch it happen. Faster.

helpimitchy · 27/05/2017 21:08

I suppose the idea that you get a referral when more than one cindition is suspected is designed to deal with the most needy first.

Naive

Farahilda · 27/05/2017 21:13

Yes, I was surprised when a trust spokesperson was described in the local newspaper as speaking in those terms.

The more formal position of the trust is

""We recognise the concerns of families of children with a neurodevelopmental condition and the groups who support them and that these must be addressed in any proposal brought forward for consideration.

"The Trust and South West London CCG commissioners are committed to working together to ensure young people access the most appropriate service for their needs. We need to get the model of service and service capacity right for the range of needs across SW London.”"

ExplodedCloud · 27/05/2017 22:09

Farahilda why is it being a 'Labour area' relevant?
The caseload is going to depend on how many referrals they get, how many staff they have to deal etc. There's been a big increase in people recognising autism. In their dc and in themselves.

TheSnorkMaidenReturns · 27/05/2017 23:12

CCGs are not run by political parties so it being a labour area is only relevant in that 'a labour area' is generally likely to be more deprived. It's not a labour council making a big headline cut to get political gain (which they do). It's despairing health service managers wondering how on earth they are going to balance their budgets while providing essential care.