Professor Malcolm MacLachlan:

I did not mean to downplay the importance of diagnosis, particularly within the Irish system. The point I was trying to make was that it is important within the Irish system, almost for the wrong reasons, that a diagnosis is needed to access supports and services, whereas that should not be the case. I have here a quote from the top journal in this area, which is called The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Each year it does a sort of annual review whereby people put together a huge amount of information. Last year the review was published on the transdiagnostic revolution in neurodevelopmental disorders. The authors' conclusion at the end of a very long paper synthesising a lot of evidence is that "an overreliance on ill-fitting diagnostic criteria is impeding progress towards identifying the barriers that children encounter, understanding underpinning mechanisms and finding the best route to supporting them". I absolutely agree that within our system this is important. It has too much importance and, as I said, that is, I think, one of the reasons the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act is being reviewed. From the perspective of people with autism, I think it would also be important to review the Disability Act in order that we have those two interlocking Acts evolving at the same time.