It’s cruel to delay ADHD and autism assessments for children | Letter

Blocking assessments of children with neurodivergent conditions for over two years is cruel to children, deeply damaging to families and ultimately more costly to taxpayers (NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessments, 25 September).Imagine the long-term harm inflicted on a six-year-old child forced to wait two years for an assessment of a physical condition. Waiting for a diagnosis of autism or ADHD is no different. That’s a quarter of a child’s life, and ultimately their potential, put on hold by state bodies that should be supporting all children. It prevents young people receiving the medical and practical assistance they need to learn, make friends and achieve the ordinary things that other children can every day.We know that three-quarters of parents have had to reduce working hours or stop work because of a lack of support that can be put in place with a diagnosis. It’s no wonder that young people and their families reach our members’ services in or near crisis because of protracted waits for information.We have strongly voiced our concerns about the lack of engagement from the Department of Health and Social Care with the government’s reform ambitions on special educational needs. The NHS’s rationing of assessments is the exact opposite of the Department for Education’s principle of ensuring early help for young people.This is not joined-up government. It must be sorted out before another generation of children is failed.Anna BirdChair, Disabled Children’s Partnership