Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism

Autism Policy and Education: Discussion

Photo of Marc Ó CathasaighMarc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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If we are talking about children aged eight or nine, we have missed the boat in terms of early intervention. A secondary question - I wonder if it is a question at all - involves the complicating factor of disadvantage. I assume that wealthier parents have access to assessments more quickly because they can go private, which means that we have a complicating factor of disadvantage. Particularly in an early years setting, we know all of the benefits that are there in terms of language deficits and access to language within an early years setting. I will leave it at that because it is not quite a question. What are the average waiting times for a diagnosis? How long are our waiting lists from the time a parent seeks a diagnosis and a principal takes one of those precious NEPS slots?