Debate contribution: Autism Services
Debate contribution by Mr Philip McGuigan on .
- MLA
- Mr Philip McGuigan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 12 May 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Autism Services
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5528384
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Members who tabled the motion and the amendment. The motion is important, because it reflects the experiences of, and gives a voice to, the many autistic people and their families across the North who are struggling to access support and the services that they need. The recent findings of the Independent Autism Reviewer's first annual report highlight a number of serious and ongoing issues with autism services, and those issues are deeply concerning. I record my thanks to Ema Cubitt and her team for producing the report and for shining an important light on the conversation that we are having today. The report confirms what families, carers and autistic people have been telling us for many years. It shows that services are inconsistent across different areas, that waiting times are too long and that many families are finding it difficult to access the support that they need at the right time. One of the clearest concerns that the report raises is the pressure on respite and short-break services. For many families, respite care is essential, as it provides support for parents and carers, gives children and young people opportunities to engage in activities and helps prevent families from reaching crisis point. Access to those services varies significantly, however, and depends on where people live. Families should not receive different levels of support simply because they live in a different health trust. The report also highlights the impact that long waiting times for autism assessments have on children, young people and adults. Many families wait years for an assessment, and, during that time, children can struggle in school, while parents can struggle to access support. As a result, their mental health can worsen. Early identification and intervention are important, and delays not only affect outcomes for autistic people but can place additional pressure on schools, health services and families. Another issue raised in the report is the lack of consistency in the services that are available across the North. In some areas, families can access therapies, family support and early intervention programmes, relatively quickly, but in other areas, those same supports are extremely limited or, in some cases, unavailable. There needs to be greater consistency so that autistic people and their families can expect a fair standard of support, regardless of where they live. The report also draws attention to the difficulties that many autistic young people face when moving from children's services into adulthood. We will be supporting the amendment, which reflects that. Too often, support reduces significantly when a young person leaves school or reaches adulthood. Families frequently describe that transition as being confusing and stressful, with little coordination between services. There is a clear need for better planning across Departments dealing with health, education, further education, employment and communities to ensure that autistic young people are properly supported as they move into adult life. The autism strategy and the Autism Act already provide an important framework for improving services, but we need to move beyond frameworks. The key issue now has to be delivery. The motion asks the Minister to outline how the commitments within the strategy and Autism Act will be implemented during the remainder of the Assembly mandate, and how services will continue to improve in the years ahead. We need to hear answers to those questions from the Minister. The answers should include clear timelines, better accountability, improved workforce planning and details of greater engagement with autistic people and their families and carers when services are being designed and reviewed. It is also important that we recognise the increasing demand on autism services. As diagnosis rates continue to rise, services must be properly resourced and planned for the future. The motion is an opportunity to recognise the challenges that remain and to push for practical improvements that can make a real difference to people's lives. Ultimately, autistic people and their families want the same thing as everyone else: timely support; fair access to services; opportunities to reach their potential; and the ability to live independently and with dignity.
676 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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