Children with autism to get quality standard

NICE has been asked to produce a quality standard for children with autism.
 
Following last week's fantastic news that the Department of Health has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to publish a quality standard for adults with autism, we are delighted that NICE has also now been asked to produce a quality standard for children with autism.

NICE quality standards are a set of specific, concise statements that set out markers of high-quality, cost-effective patient care. Quality standards for children were a key demand of our You Need To Know campaign, which aimed to improve mental health services for children with autism. As part of the campaign, over 1,000 NAS campaigners emailed Andrew Lansley, the Secretary of State for Health.

Research has found that over 70 per cent of children with autism also experience mental health issues, so it is vital that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are able to fully meet the needs of children with autism. As details about the content of the quality standards emerge, the NAS will be pushing hard to ensure that they have a strong focus on mental health support. We hope that they will help to fully entrench the needs of children and young people with autism into the health and social care system in England.

Sarah Lambert, the NAS's Head of Policy, says:

After two years of campaigning, the decision to include autism as a topic for NICE's quality standards work programme is great news for over 100,000 children living with autism in England.

Children with autism have a distinct set of needs and with 71 per cent experiencing mental health issues along with their autism, support from local services is vital. These standards should set out clearly what's expected from local services and go a long way towards improving the experiences of children with autism.

We'd like to see quicker access to diagnosis for those with suspected autism, good follow-up so that there is proper understanding of what diagnosis means, and appropriate ongoing support, which would make all the difference in the lives of children and their families up and down the country.

The Government has got the ball rolling; it's now up to NICE to ensure they get it right.

 Article taken from National Autistic Society