Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

Children with Disabilities - UNCRPD Article 7: Discussion

5:30 pm

Mr. Adam Harris:

We will invite Senator O'Loughlin irrespective of that. We could talk all day about what education and health could do, but I will refer to three pillars. First, there is a need to have autism-specific and autism-informed supports. I am increasingly concerned from engaging with officials that there is a sense that because our community has become so large, there should be a one-size-fits-all approach. That does not work for our community. Second, it is important to consult autistic people. Very often, we are still seeing services designed and sometimes very worrying policies developed concerning autistic people with no autistic voice whatsoever. That speaks to the need for a culture shift, which is the third pillar. Within officialdom, there are still some people who think their job is to be gatekeepers, as opposed to trying to signpost and proactively support families. That is the shift we need to see.