To understand that Autism is NOT a mental illness?

[Oxfordblue]

Just that really, someone posted that autism is a mental illness.
I understand autism to be a different way of thinking/perceiving etc. Not an illness that one may or may not recover from

(My daughter is waiting for an assessment for autism & I would hate her to feel that she 'has a mental illness' & actually find that statement so disempowering. The world needs people to think differently, to challenge ideas that maybe set in stone & blur the idea that one size fits all.)

@ThinkingTed I’m glad she was heard and that you’re feeling positive!

It’s a deal staffiegirl! I can’t eat crumpets without marmite for the reasons you describe but marmite does the trick! DP can’t bear it though (the smell) so it’s my dirty treat when he’s away for work

@staffiegirl with Earl Grey tea and milk (my grannie would disown me!)

dyslexic? another disorder/non disorder? (I cant spell for peanuts God bless spellchecks! :) )

@staffie. Hi and no, I don't mind you asking at all. DD is not awaiting assessment, she was diagnosed with autism and sensory processing disorder three years ago via the NHS Community Pead and CAMHS (and that was 3 years after she was referred). She attends a state SEN secondary school now for children with autism. What is lacking is MH and therapeutic services for children and young people on the autistic spectrum. CAMHS don't have the resources or expertise. Her SEN school cannot afford the costs of getting in external consultants due to cuts and are having to have extra training days to pick up the backlog.

Thanks @sodding

Funding cuts are a real problem, it’s just so unfair.

What is lacking is MH and therapeutic services for children and young people on the autistic spectrum. CAMHS don't have the resources or expertise.

Oh yes yes yes I agree wholeheartedly ThinkingTed

Our CAMHS do not have the expertise to support my DD (despite being diagnosed by through CAMHS by her psychiatrist). DD simply can not attend typical therapeutic services and so CAMHS has nothing to offer but medication ...

My DD is Educated Other Than at School and has a personal budget from education. But we are having an ongoing struggle to get an independent clinical psychologist paid via this budget. Because Education say this is a health provision....DD's EHCP thankfully states that she needs a therapeutic learning approach that integrates mental health and sensory integration therapy etc. so I am persisting. The psychologist specialises in ASD particularly anxiety based demand avoidance. She is able to be flexible and can meet DD for a walk or a cake in a cafe rather than in a clinical office. And she is able to advise other people supporting DD how best to support her mental health. So in reality, the mental health intervention comes from the people DD trusts most, guided by the psychologist.

But trying to get 'joined up' support from Education, Health and Social Care has been impossible.

Social care said that her needs were 'mental health' so not their responsibility, CAMHS should be supporting her. CAMHS can't support her because of her ASD. They assessed that her social isolation was because she was "home eduacted" and that a plan for return to school was needed from Education ... It was like being on a hamster wheel with everyone identifying a reason for NOT being responsible for support.

DD is (like all children) is a complex individual, not a collection of 'needs' . Her individual characteristics are simply 'her' - totally integrated into who she is. Support should reflect this. It needs to be totally integrated. But the system doesn't do integrated very well

Crumpets should be toasted with cheese on.

Teggun that sounds like an exhausting roundabout. I hope that someone soon doesn’t pass the buck and actually offers support properly.

I adore marmite on crumpets.

@Notevilstepmother I’m so glad! I’ve been wondering if I’m weird

Thanks Sodding We are much better supported than some.

Teggun, sounds nightmare.

Marmite on crumpets yum!!!!

It’s them who are the strange people

Thanks Notevilstepmum

@Teggun it’s only coming on here that I realise just how many families who have an autistic member are being failed left right and centre. We are very lucky in our local area, but I’m gutted it isn’t nationwide.

It’s them who are the strange people

Yesssss!

As I said, we are actually supported much better than many. But it doesn't come easily. The number of children out of school and totally unsupported is growing. And there is a real sense of having to fail or break down completely in order to get what's needed and that's frightening. I'm sure it's not what the professionals want but it's the reality.

Do you think it’s funding that’s the problem? Or are there other factors which contribute to the lack of support?

I wish there would be more put into it, effort, money, all of it. They’re quite literally playing with children’s lives.

I think it's a combination of finite resources and somewhat inflexible systems / processes.
Everything is 'criteria' based and funds are spread across different budgets all with different criteria and managed by different teams...

Aye that makes sense. More communication between agencies would help a lot I think.

sodding It was school that referred K to camhs, they are extremely frustrated as they have received no feedback or communication at all in over a month apart from me.