Autistic childwas notgiven treatment

A Sligo mother has spoken out about her frustration in dealing with the HSE’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service ( CAMHS).

The woman who wishes to remain anonymous says her autistic daughter ( 6) has been on a waiting list effectively for six years.

“My daughter was diagnosed with Autism when she was one. I’ve been trying to get her seen to by CAHMS for years and have never been given access. This is despite the fact that she would not leave the house, was afraid to go outside and I had to withdraw her from all outside activities due to her social phobia,” she says.

The woman eventually turned elsewhere for help and got a diagnosis in Dublin for her daughter which she had to pay for privately.

“She needed CAMHS two years ago. Thankfully with the help of the autism unit in her school and her Special Needs Assistant she has come on a little bit.

“Her speech was very bad before she started school but now is improving all the time. There are no proper services in this town or in this region for children like my daughter. It’s just not good enough.”