Support for individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Rob has warned that thousands of children with autism in England are needlessly facing a future of mental health problems, because the NHS does not know how to help them. Rob is backing the National Autistic Society’s new campaign, You Need to Know, which aims to tackle an unfit mental health system that fails two thirds of children with autism and often makes their mental health worse.

Rob said; “By giving children with autism the understanding and support they need, we help promote their health and happiness. Too many children are currently developing preventable mental health problems and in a broken system that doesn’t understand them or their needs. It is a tragic waste of their potential and something we all need to know about!”

Getting on for three quarters of children with autism have a mental health problem, such as depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other anxiety disorders. Yet many of these problems are preventable. Autism is a complex disability so when mental health problems develop in children they are much harder to recognise, diagnose and treat without appropriate knowledge. Tragically, they are often dismissed as an unfortunate, but unavoidable side effect of having autism.

Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society said; “All too often children with autism receive inappropriate, ineffectual and sometimes harmful treatment of their mental health problems. This has a devastating effect on families many of whom develop their own mental health problems as a result. Parents and professionals alike are crying out for more autism support and so we are delighted to have Stoke-on-Trent South MP, Rob Flello’s backing. The NHS needs to know how to help, and the Government needs to know it can’t wait.”

With the right support at the right time children with autism can have good mental health just as anyone else can - the You Need to Know campaign aims to make this a reality. The NAS is calling for the Government to act now to make mental health services work for children with autism and change their future. This includes autism training for mental health professionals and access to specialist autism support in every area.

Rob is also calling on local children and families affected by autism to nominate their Happiness Hero – an individual who has gone the extra mile to support a child with autism. It could be a mental health professional, teacher, youth group worker or another individual who has made a positive difference to the life of a child with autism. For more information, visit www.autism.org.uk/youneedtoknow.