Autism
Our understanding of autism has grown exponentially since the days of Kanner and his ilk. Despite this, and the growing number of diagnostic referrals, misdiagnosis is still a regular occurrence. In terms of the misdiagnosis of autism, perhaps one of the most significant diagnoses to occur is person
Mental Health Treatment Rights
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have been under immense pressure for many years. Declining funding and resources combined with increased demand has pushed services into the private sector, lowering quality and outcomes. Combined with this is professional incompetency from lack of training, this can be seen in inpatient
Healthcare
Child and Adolecent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are commissioned with the aim of supporting the mental health of children and young people and reducing the risk of harm from crises. In terms of NHS services, one might consider this a high priority service that should be provided with extensive funding
Autistic Rights
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) "care in the community" model has failed Autistic children and young people. Underfunding, staff shortages, and geographic disparities have created a hostile environment for Autistic service users, leading to a lifetime of instability. Issues w
Healthcare
If you have been active in the UK neurodiversity movement recently, you may well have seen the name Megan Docherty. Megan is an 18 year old Autistic and learning disabled woman in Scotland. She was forcibly removed from her home and placed under section at the William Fraser Centre, which
disability
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Addiction
"My pain was not the sort of pain that deserved support. That was what CAMHS had taught me. My life became a monotony of blackouts and suicide attempts. All because services wouldn't support a little Autistic boy who was trying to navigate a cruel and uncaring world."
Mental Health Treatment Rights
In previous articles I have spoken extensively about the myriad ways in which Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) fail Autistic people. So, can CAMHS actually help our Autistic children? The truth is that like everything, different people will have different experiences. Despite this there are some significant challenges
Trauma
The campaign against Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services failures for Autistic children highlights the impact on children, but what about parent carers? Burnout, reduced engagement with professionals, and mental health issues are common. This can lead to safeguarding concerns, blame shifting
Neurodiversity
"It's okay for us to admit that being Autistic is a core part of who we are. The problem is that when we are faced by services like CAMHS, we can feel reduced to our struggles, rather than the things that make us like ourselves..."
Neurodiversity
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have significantly long wait times, with over 400,000 children on waiting lists as of May 2023. Autistic children face worsened mental health, increased crisis risk, disrupted development, and reduced service engagement. To improve wait times, ther
Mental Health Treatment Rights
Your child has been referred to CAMHS, but what are you supposed to do now? This article contains advice on interactions and questions you should be asking professionals.