Dr. Louise Higgins:

I share the Deputy's frustration on this issue. All our professional bodies submitted serious concerns regarding the PTA. It was recognised that this was not compliant with the Disability Act and that a PTA is effectively a screening assessment. The Disability Act is designed to identify the support needs of a child. We knew the screening assessment was not in the best interests of children and that it would not answer questions or provide a comprehensive assessment of a child's needs. This was very clearly outlined by all our professional bodies. However, it was a system that was pushed through.

There were many concerns for clinicians completing the assessments. We were acutely aware this was not going to meet the needs of children. As the committee has heard, families and parents are desperate. They come for a screening assessment which does not meet the child's needs or does not get the recognition. For example, this committee is looking specifically at autism. Children who presented for a preliminary team assessment did not get a diagnosis of autism from that assessment. The result has been that approximately 10,000 PTAs were completed, and our understanding is that many of them have to be redone. I had the figure of just under 5,000 that needed a diagnostic assessment. There may well be more. Many of those families are still waiting. The loss of time for families and children, the further barriers and delays, and the cost of this for services has been a real challenge when looking at recruitment and retention issues. PSI completed a survey around that time. Many psychologists stated they had already left or were considering leaving. It has come at a cost to service, but most significantly, it has come at an enormous cost for those children and families.