One body with an interest in autism support has called on Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh to address a number of their concerns.
The call was made by the Autism Support Network T+T on the occasion of World Autism Day, celebrated on April 2nd.
In a media release, the entity urged the Health Minister to take immediate action to reduce the long waiting times for autism diagnosis in Trinidad and Tobago. It claims that parents and caregivers currently face excessive delays in accessing diagnostic assessments for their children.
Further, they also made a call for an increase in the number of professionals qualified to diagnose autism in the public healthcare system, the implementation of streamlined processes to ensure earlier screenings and referrals, and the establishment of more outreach clinics throughout Trinidad and Tobago, to name a few.
In response, the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) CEO Davlin Thomas indicated that it recently opened a clinic at the Arima General Hospital (AGH) to engage with what seems to be a growing need – children, with a significant number being those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
In a statement, NCRHA said the waiting time was as low as two weeks at AGH, but they have recently had an influx of new referrals from various providers, both in the public and private sectors, and the waiting time is now roughly three months.
Further, the clinic is said to have two speech therapists who provide time-limited individualised speech therapy for a few families at a time. However, due to the significant demand for speech therapy, the waitlist for intervention is already extending.
At this time, the NCRHA said it is also actively trying to recruit other service providers, including occupational therapists and psychologists, in an attempt to provide comprehensive care for all of the patients and their families, including those with autism.