Autism campaigner calls for more to be done on diagnosis

Autism campaigner and Teesside University Honorary Graduate Anna Kennedy is calling for more to be done to shorten diagnosis times for autism.

Anna Kennedy OBE is a leading campaigner for improved education for those who are affected by autism and Asperger’s syndrome. She was awarded an honorary degree from Teesside University last year.

Middlesbrough born Anna, is the director of a national autism charity which brings together people affected by autism, enabling them to ask each other questions and share ideas.

A recent survey by Anna discovered the average waiting time for initial diagnosis in children is five years. Working closely with psychologists, psychiatrists and GPs, Anna discovered medical professionals may only encounter between one and five children on the autism spectrum during their training.

Anna has now launched a petition calling for consistency in the NHS when diagnosing autism. The petition was shown alongside the survey results in a recent meeting with the Department of Health (DoH).

Austin Hughes, senior officer from AnnaKennedyOnline, joined Anna to visit the DoH offices in central London to discuss the finding with officials and key representatives from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Anna said: ‘There was focus on raising awareness of autism. The Department of Health was also in agreement regarding the inconsistency with healthcare training and they stated that they have in place a 'Children and Young People Forum' made up of professionals including Dr Gillian Baird, an autism specialist, to develop improvement strategies.

‘The Department of Health and NICE are sharing the results of my survey with this group since they were genuinely alarmed by them.’ Anna emphasises that all medical professionals need to work together to improve diagnosis times for children. Barriers also need to be broken down between parents and professionals, which currently often lead to miscommunication.

---

Find out more about Anna's campaign