“Parents of children with suspected autism are having to wait at least 44 months for a diagnosis, prompting a cross-party group of more than 140 MPs to write to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, demanding urgent action”, taken from an article in the Guardian. Read the full article here.

How many more findings like this is it going to take for the Government to accept that just as early diagnosis for many other medical and neurological disorders (e.g Cancer, Alzheimers, Stroke) saves and improves the quality of life, as well as being a key predictor of positive outcomes children with Autism?

Seeing that the average wait time for an Autism diagnosis is 44 months, drew me to pull up data from one of the children we work with.

For many of us, Christmas is one of the highlights of our year. It is shared in such a way that the celebrations around it (street lights, music on the radio, decorated homes) cannot be missed! However, for some people, Christmas can be anxiety provoking or a time of deep sadness for those who feel the absence of loved ones. For some individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (such as Autism), Christmas can be hugely difficult and challenging for them and their families.

With food refusal being considered a normal part of typical development, how do you know if you have a fussy eater or a food refuser?

If you have a child with a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder without any other medical conditions such as cleft palate, cerebral palsy, or problems with their kidneys or intestines, the chances are that you are dealing with food refusal. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism are 40-80% more likely to experience food-related disorders such as food refusal than those without neurodevelopmental disorders (Chatoor, 2002).

We thought you would find this Q&A with one of our clients useful.

Here’s a good example of how we can help:-

What difficulties were you experiencing with your child? Extreme anxiety around formal learning and unable to attend school.

How did you hear about ABC? (ie. recommendation)Through another parent that I met at the Lambeth Parent Forum

How long has the ABC team been working with you? The team started just before Christmas 2016