A Co Kildare mum of a boy with a form of autism has welcomed a new national Registry for children living with the condition - but hopes it will make a difference.
The new initiative aims to identify the exact service needs for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by gathering vital information on a child’s diagnosis, development, medical and educational history.
Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway and the Autism Speaks support group said the Registry will begin its work in the Kildare and West Wicklow area.
Kill nurse Hilary Creighton (43) said her eldest son Padraig (12) has Asperger Syndrome, also known as high functioning autism, and dyspraxia.
She and her husband David, an architect with Kildare County Council, have two other sons Tom (10) and seven-year-old Matthew.
Hilary said: "Padraig is in mainstream school with no SNA and full resource hours.
"He was only diagnosed four years ago because we were on a waiting list to be seen for two years and also because he's considered quite high functioning."
Hilary told the Irish Daily Mail: "He has a very high IQ, another reason why he fell under the radar for a long time.
"He was passing his maths tests with flying colours but there were huge issues socially.
"He wouldn't play, never made eye contact, and he'd make inappropriate noises in class. In Junior Infants nothing was said. We always thought he was very quiet, but he was our first child and we didn't have a clue. In Senior Infants a teacher pointed it out and in First Class it came up again, so we did something about it.
"When we were advised to get something done outside the school the waiting list was too long. We went privately for his dyspraxia diagnosis.
"Initially we went to a paediatrician in Tallaght, who suggested the multidisciplinary route. For two years Padraig was on the waiting list to be seen by CAMS, the child and adolescent mental health service. He was diagnosed and we were told there and then that there were no services available. It was very difficult leaving that meeting that day.
"At the time they couldn't even put him on a waiting list for occupational therapy because he wasn't in an ASD unit — units attached to primary schools specifically for autistic children. But obviously he needs OT for his dyspraxia and for the Aspergers as well. So we had to pay privately for OT. To get him fully assessed cost €500 and after that each session cost €65. We're forking out an awful lot of money that we shouldn't have to.
Hilary said she hopes the autism Register makes a difference.
She added: "Kildare is one of the areas where services are particularly poor. At one stage we were told he would have been put on an OT waiting list if he had been assessed in Dublin. But because he happened to live in Kildare, the services just weren't there. The system is broken."
- Parents and guardians across Kildare/West Wicklow ar encouraged to support the project by registering their child on the Autism Registry.
To sign up, please email Sarah-Marie Feighan on feighans@tcd.ie or call (01) 8962315.
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