Debate contribution: Autism Services

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 12 May 2026.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

12 May 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Autism Services

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5528413

Read the official Assembly record

Text

We support the motion and the amendment. It is great to see a debate on autism in the Assembly again. I hate using the word "debate", as it is never a debate, because we are all in agreement, and we are all passionate about the topic. I welcome this week's publication of the delivery plan for the autism strategy. Any renewed focus on autism services is to be welcomed, but, once again, we are presented with a strategy that lacks the qualitative targets and clear, measurable outcomes that we need. Without those, families and autistic individuals will continue to ask the same questions: how will we know that things are improving and how do we know that what we are doing is helping? As legislators, we need to understand, as baseline data, that when we support projects or look at strategies, what we agree collectively is working for people on the ground. One of the recurring themes in the debate is collaboration. We continue to see fragmented services, poor data sharing and families being pushed from one service to the other with little coordination or continuity of care. Constituents repeatedly tell us that they feel lost in a system that operates in silos. One of the biggest barriers is access to health. While autism and neurodiversity awareness training has been rolled out across the health and social care trusts, we were told in January that only 365 staff had completed the training. Any training is welcome, and we should be proud that it has been delivered, but we need to ask whether it is being sufficiently targeted, whether it is effective and how it is monitored to make sure that we are delivering the right training at the right time and that it is making the biggest impact. We need to know: is the training being tailored to address the mental health needs of autistic individuals; how are professionals being equipped to make the reasonable adjustments that are needed in practice to ensure that there are no further barriers to accessing health; and how are interventions being adapted to ensure that autistic people can access and remain engaged with the support that they so need? Our all-party group had previously raised the proposal of autism champions, and, through a question for written answer, we had a great response from the Minister, who said that he would look at it further and scope it out from a number of jurisdictions to see what could be done. It would be great if the Minister could give an update on that. One of the greatest failures in the space remains respite provision. Many families will remember the 'I Am Not Okay' documentary, which exposed the raw reality faced by parents and carers supporting children and adults with the highest support needs. It is not an isolated story. Only this week, I spoke to a 72-year-old mother caring for her 52-year-old autistic daughter with learning difficulties. She is begging for respite support, as she cannot get the help that she needs. It breaks my heart that, in 2026, elderly parents are carrying unimaginable caring responsibilities alone because the system is failing them.

That is the daily reality for families across Northern Ireland.

Parents are fighting for a few hours' support each week simply to be able to breathe. That is not sustainable care. More and more carers are reaching breaking point while trying to access the most basic help. Let us be honest: families do not want another Zoom workshop or awareness session; they want practical support, respite and space to recharge so that they can continue to care for their loved ones safely and compassionately. Too often, unpaid carers fill the gaps left by statutory services, with serious consequences for their own mental health and well-being as they try to continue in their caring role. There is another forgotten voice in the conversation: the siblings. Those children and young people witness the stress and chaos in their home every day. Many grow up before their time, having to step back from their own needs because of the level of care that is required for their brother or sister. During the previous mandate, our colleague Pam Cameron, working with Autism NI, introduced legislation that aimed to improve diagnosis, intervention and support for autistic people in Northern Ireland. The Autism (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and the role of the Independent Autism Reviewer are critical. They were such important steps forward, but the Autism Reviewer's recent report lays bare the scale of the challenge that remains. We know that waiting lists are unacceptable, with many families forced to pursue a private diagnosis. There should be no postcode lottery, and a person's earnings or economic status should not determine the level of care that their child gets. We also cannot ignore the devastating impact on people's mental health. Autistic adults are significantly over-represented. Access to specialist care is not optional but essential. As we discuss this today, we must remember that every statistic represents a person — an adult, a child, a parent, a sibling or a carer — who is trying to navigate a system that too often fails them. Autistic individuals have enormous strengths, and they contribute greatly to our society, our communities and our workplaces. They deserve so much better.

887 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification