The HSE is seeking private service providers to help reduce a mounting backlog in autism diagnostic assessments for children and teenagers, with waiting lists projected to exceed 25,000 by year’s end.
Currently, over 15,000 children are awaiting an Assessment of Need, a formal procedure under the Disability Act 2005 that identifies a child’s health and educational requirements. The assessment determines whether a person has a disability, its nature and extent, and what services are needed to address arising health and education needs.
The HSE projected in May that without additional funding and resources, the waiting list could surge to more than 25,000 cases by December. The crisis has been highlighted by teenage campaigner Cara Darmody, who has lobbied the Government extensively on the issue in recent years.
Earlier this year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged to the Dáil that the HSE was unable to “fulfil the law” regarding the statutory six-month timeline for providing assessments of needs for children with disabilities.
In response, the HSE has announced it is seeking “qualified and experienced” service providers to join panels delivering autism diagnostic assessments for children and adolescents across Ireland. HSE Chief Executive Bernard Gloster said the initiative aims to establish a panel specifically to address the assessment backlog.
The panel will operate for one year with an option to extend for a further year, subject to demand and available funding. “Every effort is being made to have the panel established as soon as possible so that more assessments can be made for the children on the waiting list,” Mr Gloster stated.
Interested providers must demonstrate they possess adequate capacity and suitably qualified expertise to deliver the number of assessments they propose in their submissions.