25 signatures reached
To: Minister Mary Butler, Irish Government and HSE
Petition to Make Neurodivergent Assessments Accessible for Adults Through the HSE
Accessible affordable assessments for Neurodivergent conditions in adults
Why is this important?
A letter to Minister Mary Butler, to the HSE, to the government, and to whomever may listen.
I hope your day is going well. If you have a few moments to read this letter, I would be extremely grateful for your time.
Autism, ADHD, Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Disorder. These are all words that I’m sure you’ve heard before. Many of times, if these words are said we think of a young boy who struggles to sit still in class, or has to wear ear defenders to get through the fireworks on Halloween. Maybe at a push, it may be the young girl who has a special interest in horses, or has to bring her fidget toy to school with her. However, what if I were to tell you that neurodivergence is much more than that, and it doesn’t stop when you reach a certain age. What if I told you that Mia, aged 19 is being bullied in her PLC because she dared to express her special interest in a kids cartoon? Or that Aoife, aged 26 is constantly called lazy and doesn’t know why she can’t just get out of bed and complete a task? Or that Michael, aged 30 has failed to carry out 6 attempts at a college education, because the campus is too loud and there was no where for him to go to decompress, so he just decides not to go in at all?
Many individuals aged 18 and upwards have lived entire lives trying to survive in a world that wasn’t built for them. I can speak from direct experience when I say that these individuals face invisible challenges every day such as executive disfunction, time keeping, distraction, troubles around socialising, finding self esteem and experiencing invisible torture when it comes to navigating the world through sound, sight, smell, taste and touch. I could go on and on forever, and yet not nearly enough people are given support for these issues.
The biggest question around lately has been “Why is there such a mental health epidemic in this country as of late?” and my answer to you is support. I would like to explain why I believe that the lack of support for individuals over the age of 18 with neurodivergent symptoms of traits could be one of the major reasons for this epidemic.
Individuals 18 years or older (predominantly women) with possible Neurodivergence are turned away from Primary Care centres, Community Mental Health centres and Psychiatric Assessment wards and clinics all because of their age. This is a ridiculous and outdated practice, as neurodivergence doesn’t end once an individual has turned 18 years of age. For many people, women especially, neurodivergence is already under diagnosed or recognised in places like CAMHS because of the ignorance around the typical symptoms of neurodivergent disorders in girls and women. I would like to point out that this is a spectrum, many people mask and are left feeling inadequate, alone and isolated and later down the line told that they instead have psychiatric mood disorders such as BPD. This is so that the doctors in positions of power can fob them off and take lunch early. If neurodivergence was supported properly in this country, the knock on effect of issues such as Anxiety disorder, OCD, mental burnout and Depression etc. would decrease, as the root of the problem would be investigated, instead of the symptoms resulting from it.
This is such a major issue and if we pull together to get it sorted, adult individuals living with neurodivergence could finally find peace of mind and support that they’ve always needed in their workplaces, education and communities. If you want real change in the mental health of individuals across Ireland, listen to their concerns!!!
This is not a petition to continue labelling people.
This is not a cry for attention
This is a cry for support and help for those who deserve real assessment, real validation in their experience and real support without having to find €2000-€3000 just to be told something they already know.
Thank you for your time and if you agree with this letter, please sign the petition.
Something has to change.
Kind Regards,
Sienna Reynolds
A Social Care Practice Student with real life experience wanting to make a difference.
I hope your day is going well. If you have a few moments to read this letter, I would be extremely grateful for your time.
Autism, ADHD, Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Disorder. These are all words that I’m sure you’ve heard before. Many of times, if these words are said we think of a young boy who struggles to sit still in class, or has to wear ear defenders to get through the fireworks on Halloween. Maybe at a push, it may be the young girl who has a special interest in horses, or has to bring her fidget toy to school with her. However, what if I were to tell you that neurodivergence is much more than that, and it doesn’t stop when you reach a certain age. What if I told you that Mia, aged 19 is being bullied in her PLC because she dared to express her special interest in a kids cartoon? Or that Aoife, aged 26 is constantly called lazy and doesn’t know why she can’t just get out of bed and complete a task? Or that Michael, aged 30 has failed to carry out 6 attempts at a college education, because the campus is too loud and there was no where for him to go to decompress, so he just decides not to go in at all?
Many individuals aged 18 and upwards have lived entire lives trying to survive in a world that wasn’t built for them. I can speak from direct experience when I say that these individuals face invisible challenges every day such as executive disfunction, time keeping, distraction, troubles around socialising, finding self esteem and experiencing invisible torture when it comes to navigating the world through sound, sight, smell, taste and touch. I could go on and on forever, and yet not nearly enough people are given support for these issues.
The biggest question around lately has been “Why is there such a mental health epidemic in this country as of late?” and my answer to you is support. I would like to explain why I believe that the lack of support for individuals over the age of 18 with neurodivergent symptoms of traits could be one of the major reasons for this epidemic.
Individuals 18 years or older (predominantly women) with possible Neurodivergence are turned away from Primary Care centres, Community Mental Health centres and Psychiatric Assessment wards and clinics all because of their age. This is a ridiculous and outdated practice, as neurodivergence doesn’t end once an individual has turned 18 years of age. For many people, women especially, neurodivergence is already under diagnosed or recognised in places like CAMHS because of the ignorance around the typical symptoms of neurodivergent disorders in girls and women. I would like to point out that this is a spectrum, many people mask and are left feeling inadequate, alone and isolated and later down the line told that they instead have psychiatric mood disorders such as BPD. This is so that the doctors in positions of power can fob them off and take lunch early. If neurodivergence was supported properly in this country, the knock on effect of issues such as Anxiety disorder, OCD, mental burnout and Depression etc. would decrease, as the root of the problem would be investigated, instead of the symptoms resulting from it.
This is such a major issue and if we pull together to get it sorted, adult individuals living with neurodivergence could finally find peace of mind and support that they’ve always needed in their workplaces, education and communities. If you want real change in the mental health of individuals across Ireland, listen to their concerns!!!
This is not a petition to continue labelling people.
This is not a cry for attention
This is a cry for support and help for those who deserve real assessment, real validation in their experience and real support without having to find €2000-€3000 just to be told something they already know.
Thank you for your time and if you agree with this letter, please sign the petition.
Something has to change.
Kind Regards,
Sienna Reynolds
A Social Care Practice Student with real life experience wanting to make a difference.