Plea for autism, ADHD change

Petition seeks to improve outcomes by treating disorders outside mental health

Many psychiatrists do not believe that adults have ADHD, and they know nothing about autism.

Robin Wynne-Williams

People with ADHD and autism say classification of their conditions creates barriers for accessing diagnosis, treatment and support.

A petition created by the New Zealand Disability Advisory Trust has garnered over 1500 signatures online.

It calls for the Ministry of Health to “reclassify ADHD/autism as neurodevelopmental disorders and not as mental health disorders”, arguing New Zealand’s approach to the conditions are “out of date”, with “a serious lack of diagnostic support”.

Categorising the conditions overloaded the mental health system and stigmatised people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the trust argued.

NZ Disability Advisory Trust’s Nick Stoneman, who has autism, said the ministry claimed not to classify autism and ADHD as mental health conditions, but people with these conditions far too often ended up within the mental health system.

This led to delays with diagnosis. “It varies between the DHBs so it could be anywhere between three months and two years,” he said.

“And quite often they’ll give out a diagnosis saying something like ‘global developmental delays’ and then the family will have to wait another however many months or years to get a proper assessment.”

The trust wanted GPs to be able to diagnose and prescribe medication for autism and ADHD, with referrals to neurologists.

“It will take it out of mental health totally and stop psychiatrists diagnosing,” he said.

The Ministry of Health’s mental health and addiction chief clinical adviser, Arran Culver, said ASD and ADHD were classified as neurodevelopmental disorders.

“[They] have separate pathways for diagnosis and treatment, but all services should provide a multidisciplinary, evidence-based treatment response.

“Autistic children are generally referred to child development services or paediatrics/child health services.

“ADHD is diagnosed and treated in a range of specialist environments, including paediatric/child health services, infant child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services.”

Robin Wynne-Williams, who had been working as a pediatric practice nurse with ADHD and autism patients for 30 years, said the experience of people with these conditions suggested otherwise.

Patients were often referred into the mental health system, where they could wait years for a diagnosis.

“There is no service in mental health, many psychiatrists do not believe that adults have ADHD, and they know nothing about autism.”