Case closed on campaigner’s son after mum speaks out
WHEN Sligo mother and autism campaigner Tanya Fletcher was on the train to Dublin to talk to RTE’s Claire Byrne Live she got a phonecall from the HSE.
A spokesman for the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services ( CAMHS) was calling to let her know that her son would no longer be under its care.
Shocked Tanya recalls: “I got a call from the head of psychology in CAMHS to say Dylan’s case was closed. I was offered no explanation. I was just told to bring him to autism services.”
Nine- year- old Dylan has autism, ADHD, and has threatened to self- harm on numerous occasions. Tanya fought long and hard to get him into CAMHS and although he was only being seen about four times a year, she believes this treatment was crucial given his highly vulnerable emotional state.
“Dylan’s anxiety has gone through the roof. He refuses to leave the house. Whatever little help he was getting, he’s getting none now. I have nowhere to go if Dylan does something. You had a story on the front page of The Champion last week about a 14- year- old autistic boy who died by suicide. This is where my son is heading. His anxiety is leading to depression and his depression is going to lead to worse things without help. I’m afraid for his future.”
Tanya who first told her story about the difficulties in accessing mental health services for her two children to The Sligo Champion weeks ago, believes Dylan is being targeted because she has spoken out against the HSE. “I am one of the few mothers who has gone public who had a son in CAMHS. This is the last thing I expected to happen. In a million years, I never thought they would close a case on a child who is in such desperate need of help. To close his case without having assessed him is shocking. These children change from week to week. They didn’t even bother to see him. They just shut us out without any consultation. I was told he will have one last meeting for medication and then the case is closed.”
Tanya fears: “He has been removed from CAMHS as a direct result of the campaign but doing this has only made me more determined than ever to fight for my children’s care.”