(Ireland) Autism charity decries 15,000 on waitlist for dx; expected to be 25,000 by Christmas

June 20, 2025, Irish Independent: Assessment of Need waiting list backlog ‘completely unacceptable’, autism charity chief says

The CEO of autism charity AsIAM has said the lengthy waiting lists for a child trying to access an assessment of need (AON) are “completely unacceptable.”

Adam Harris criticised the fact that only 7pc of referrals have been seen within the legal time limit of six months.

“The reality is that it’s taking far too long,” he said.

 “The Government is talking about waiting lists for an AON as if it’s a charity act or a nice thing to do. There are clear domestic obligations in place that are being breached here.

“Ireland was also the last country in the EU to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UNCRPD, which moves us away from the charity model. So it is also breaching that commitment.”

Currently, there are over 15,000 children waiting for an AON, which is used to identify if a child has a disability and what services they need to access.

The HSE expects the numbers on the waiting list to soar to nearly 25,000 by the end of the year as it grapples with chronic staff shortages in the disability sector.

Mr Harris cited an “urgent need” to get on top of the backlog, given the lack of key services for children with additional needs.

he majority of parents have to fork out up to €1,000  [$1,200] to pay for a private assessment for their child, given the lengthy wait times.

He said Ireland has the right strategy and legislation, but is falling down in the area of implementation and investment.

With regards to a mooted plan to move services like speech and language therapy (SLT) into the classroom setting, Mr Harris said he is “very supportive” of that.

“Now that there has been a commitment to roll out a model in that regard, there is a real importance in how we do that. There is a clear benefit in not having to remove a child from a classroom and not being in a sterile setting,” he said.

“But where therapeutic supports are being delivered, it needs to be done right across the education system.

“So I don’t just mean in special schools, but also mainstream schools or wherever is the most appropriate place for autistic kids to access them. We need to see a clear rollout on how that would happen and it should be done in a holistic sense.”