Ms Ruth Gilhool:

The Deputy asked about the process. We went to the local health nurse when our son was about two and half years old. It is the same for many parents who will go to the local health nurse who will say the child has grommets, this or that. Some will refer on, while others will not. In our case we went to the general practitioner who said he would refer us to the primary list team. I went back to him after seven months and fell apart in his office because my son was over the age of three years and not acknowledging us. We did not know whether he had hearing problems or there was a problem with food. We were not getting any sleep as he was up the whole time. He had many behavioural problems and sensory needs. It was actually on a parents' autism group page that I found out about the assessment of needs. I was not told by the public health nurse, the GP or the early intervention team where our son was on the list.