Children with autism and their families must not be abandoned – Mullan

SINN Féin’s Education spokesperson Karen Mullan has said alternative arrangements can and should be made to allow services for children with autism including educational, health, social and respite services to continue to take place while schools are closed as a result of COVID.

The Foyle MLA said: “Services for children with autism including educational, health, social and respite services all but disappeared during the last period of school closures.

“The Department of Education and Health have a legal obligation to work together in relation to Children’s services.

“Alternative arrangements can and should be made to allow these services to take place regardless of school closure.

“We will continue to raise this issue with both the Health and Education Ministers.”

A Stormont committee heard on Wednesday that essential services for many young people with disabilities “went to zero overnight” due to lockdown.

MLAs were told that as a result, some children had harmed themselves and injured their parents.

Donna Jennings, from the Evangelical Alliance, said the need for help increased, “but services disappeared”.

Tags: