Beith warns: Mental health services must do more to support children with autism and their carers

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Jun 2010

Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick upon Tweed, is backing a new campaign by the National Autistic Society (NAS), 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.

Sir Alan said:

"We all need to know that by giving children with autism the understanding and support they need, we help promote their health and happiness. Too many are currently developing preventable mental health problems. It is a tragic waste of their potential."

Over 70%* of children with autism have a mental health problem, such as depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other anxiety disorders, despite the fact that many of these problems are preventable. Autism is a complex disability and so when mental health problems do develop in children with the condition 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 NAS 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 the backing of Sir Alan Beith MP. The NHS needs to know how to help, and the Government needs to know it can't wait."

Over 450 parents surveyed for the You Need to Know campaign revealed:

• Mental health services failed to improve the mental health of two thirds of children with autism.

• 43% of parents whose children are currently registered with mental health services said their child's mental health had got worse because they could not get the services they needed.

• Over half of parents do not think that mental health services know how to communicate with their child.

• 83% of the children first experienced mental health problems before the age of ten, and half before the age of five.

• Nine out of ten parents said that the mental health problems their child faced had had a negative impact on their own mental health and that of the whole family. Over a quarter of family members needed support from mental health services as a result.

• The minority of parents who said they had been able to get specialist autism help were twice as likely to say their child's mental health had improved.

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.

Sir Alan Beith MP 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.

For the You Need to Know campaign the NAS carried out quantitative and qualitative research, covering parents and children affected by the issue, and professionals working in the field. This included a questionnaire about the experiences of children and young people with autism and their families, via parents and carers. A total of 455 eligible responses were analysed.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways. Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.

The National Autistic Society is the UK's leading charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders and their families.  Founded in 1962, it continues to spearhead national and international initiatives and provide a strong voice for all people with autism. The NAS provides a wide range of services to help people with autism and Asperger syndrome live their lives with as much independence as possible.

The NAS relies on the support of its members and donors to continue its vital work for people with autism. To become a member, make a donation or to find out more about the work of the NAS, visit the NAS website www.autism.org.uk .

For more information about autism and for help in your area, call the NAS Autism Helpline on: 0845 070 4004 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday, (local rates apply).

The NAS Autism Services Directory is the UK's most comprehensive directory of services and events for people with autism. Visit www.autism.org.uk/autismdirectory to find autism services and support networks in your area.

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*Simonoff E. et al. Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: prevalence, morbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2008; 47: 4: 921-929

Related Link:

You can find out which MPs are backing teh campaign here.