Social services in some areas have joined health and education in order to identify and provide appropriate services for children and young people with autism. Sue Mapp reports

Children with autism are not being identified by social services departments. By the time they become young adults, their needs have become complex, placing their families under great strain. The only way forward is for social services departments to work in partnership with health and education to enable autism to be identified earlier, claims a recent report by the National Autistic Society.¬

The report Autism: The Invisible Children? reveals difficulties with inter-agency communication and planning. It notes that 89 per cent of parents said they had no knowledge of what services were available for their child after the age of 19. In addition, 44 per cent of social services departments and 36 per cent of health authorities confirmed they had no contact with groups with a specific interest in autism.

To counteract the widespread ignorance and lack of co-ordination, the society established the first of a planned series of research and development projects in Wakefield two years ago, and last year started two more in Sheffield and Sedgemoor. The purpose of these projects is to research need, improve practice, provide an audit of existing services and help make these services accessible to people with autism.

Suzanne Donaldson was appointed by the society as project officer for the Sheffield initiative. Her brief is to identify the services lacking for people with autism at local level and then, in partnership with the local authority, work towards supplying them, resources permitting.

A partnership between the National Autistic Society, Sheffield Family and Community Services, and Sheffield Health Authority, the project has completed its first year and is aimed at the 16-30 age group. It also has strong links with the Sheffield Carers Centre and the Sheffield Autistic Society.

Donaldson has established a steering group with representatives from all the statutory agencies, education and further education, parents and professionals, and has formed a network of concerned individuals and organisations.

This is in line with the National Autistic Society's recommendation that the specific difficulties posed by autism make closely co-ordinated services essential. 'At any given time, meeting the social, educational, psychological and physical needs of the young person is likely to require the involvement of the three main local authority agencies,' says the report.

Suzanne Donaldson has been listening to parents and support groups about their problems with getting services. She also works closely with social workers and health professionals to produce appropriate packages of care. One of her project's pilot initiatives is to find a location to act as a resource base for families, which could also accommodate parent groups and a youth club for young people with autism.

'A great deal of need has come to light already,' said Donaldson. 'The issues aren't necessarily specific to Sheffield. There is a view in Sheffield that autism is a priority need, but there was a poorly identified autistic population which was dispersed throughout a range of services.'

Donaldson is keen to introduce a strategy of small pilot projects concentrating on different aspects of provision, for example diagnostic services or day care. Five planned schemes are expected to include short-term care, supported employment, and information systems on the needs of people with learning difficulties. This way agencies will be able to pick up on people with autism.

'We are being quite creative about who participates in these pilots. A psychologist might be involved in day care planning. The Community Health Sheffield multi-disciplinary team for planning and adult diagnostic services said it wants a social worker on board to support parents after a diagnosis is made.'

The project offers support to the Sheffield Hallam University befrienders scheme where student volunteers assist families supporting a relative with autism. So far 12 families have been befriended in this way.

Two-day staff training on autism has been made available by the Family and Community Services department. Donaldson will look at training needs which emerge and recommend follow-up and support work such as developing a staff network across different professions. 'I have been invited to liaise with professionals from all disciplines,' she said. 'Sheffield needs to continue to develop specialisms in autism. We are beginning to build a skilled staff base to carry out detailed assessments and provide direct support to staff providing a service.'

Donaldson wants to see the creation of consistent and structured care for autistic young people, for whom the slightest disturbance in daily patterns can prompt difficult behaviour.

Brenda Earl, manager of the Sheffield Carers Centre and mother of a 21-year-old autistic son, said there is an urgent need for more adult provision for people with autism in the city.

'There is no post-16 service provision. My son went through the trauma of having to leave home and go 70 miles away to a further education college in Grimsby and live in a residential home on the Wirral.

'This joint project is important to me. I hope the funding will see through the development of the pilots. It depends on everyone working together,' she said.

¬ G Peacock, A Forrest and R Mills, Autism: The Invisible Children?, National Autistic Society, 1996Services for children with autism are patchy and disconnected, and this must change