Social Services Support - I use the word "support" lightly!

I have been told by our social worker (who is based at the local child development centre and is therefore supposedly trained in special needs) that my children are basically not disabled enough for short breaks/respite.  Even though it says in legal guidance that autistic children are not to be disadvantaged in the eligibility of short breaks/respite.

I have been told by adult services that they have no expertise in Asperger's even though they try to tailor therapy to "individual needs" (yeah, um not quite sure how those two go together) so I cannot get support based on my neurological difference.

I applied for transport for my eldest child who is returning to school after a period of home-education, and she told me the social worker told her she didn't think she would get transport.  Clearly not disabled enough again.

I have just today been told that my eldest (who is pending diagnosis) is also not eligible for short breaks anyway - even though this same department told me recently that they support the child based on their needs whether they have a diagnosis or not.  The only reason she doesn't have a diagnosis is because CAMHS are so utterly rubbish and despite admitting she had autistic behaviours they did not diagnose her because they had no u-t-d school info (which as we all know often is not helpful anyway due to different behaviour between school and home) and one test they used (which was only researched on classic autistic cases and is not reliable in identifying high-functioning people) did not score her for ASC even though the other test and all her background does.

I have been on a waiting list for respite for many months despite being in absolute crisis and I am still fighting to get respite.  I was told we would get something in August and now, while I am dealing with my youngest's behavioural problems in school holidays, I am told it's September.  I told them I hit crisis often and would be lying if I said I hadn't considered bringing the children to a council office leaving them there and running away.  It didn't make a bit of difference.

The failures take my breath away.  All the consultations and statutory guidance are not worth the paper they are printed on as there is not one service that is fit for purpose when it comes to autism.

Social services, basically have it all the wrong way round.  They fail children like Baby P and Daniel Pelka and yet come down like a ton of bricks on innocent families but by the same token families asking for help, don't get it.  Families are trying to avoid reaching crisis point, and social services are, according to the law, supposed to use preventative measures such as respite to ensure it too, but they don't.  No-one enforces the law in this regard, no-one polices it.  We just get the NAS running campaigns about it because it's all such a failure.  And yet the NAS fails adults with AS/HFA and when I rang their helpline before my younger daughter was diagnosed, in absolute desperation, they refused to help me because she didn't yet have her diagnosis.

I have been told by our social worker (who is based at the local child development centre and is therefore supposedly trained in special needs) that my children are basically not disabled enough for short breaks/respite.  Even though it says in legal guidance that autistic children are not to be disadvantaged in the eligibility of short breaks/respite.

I have been told by adult services that they have no expertise in Asperger's even though they try to tailor therapy to "individual needs" (yeah, um not quite sure how those two go together) so I cannot get support based on my neurological difference.

I applied for transport for my eldest child who is returning to school after a period of home-education, and she told me the social worker told her she didn't think she would get transport.  Clearly not disabled enough again.

I have just today been told that my eldest (who is pending diagnosis) is also not eligible for short breaks anyway - even though this same department told me recently that they support the child based on their needs whether they have a diagnosis or not.  The only reason she doesn't have a diagnosis is because CAMHS are so utterly rubbish and despite admitting she had autistic behaviours they did not diagnose her because they had no u-t-d school info (which as we all know often is not helpful anyway due to different behaviour between school and home) and one test they used (which was only researched on classic autistic cases and is not reliable in identifying high-functioning people) did not score her for ASC even though the other test and all her background does.

I have been on a waiting list for respite for many months despite being in absolute crisis and I am still fighting to get respite.  I was told we would get something in August and now, while I am dealing with my youngest's behavioural problems in school holidays, I am told it's September.  I told them I hit crisis often and would be lying if I said I hadn't considered bringing the children to a council office leaving them there and running away.  It didn't make a bit of difference.

The failures take my breath away.  All the consultations and statutory guidance are not worth the paper they are printed on as there is not one service that is fit for purpose when it comes to autism.

Social services, basically have it all the wrong way round.  They fail children like Baby P and Daniel Pelka and yet come down like a ton of bricks on innocent families but by the same token families asking for help, don't get it.  Families are trying to avoid reaching crisis point, and social services are, according to the law, supposed to use preventative measures such as respite to ensure it too, but they don't.  No-one enforces the law in this regard, no-one polices it.  We just get the NAS running campaigns about it because it's all such a failure.  And yet the NAS fails adults with AS/HFA and when I rang their helpline before my younger daughter was diagnosed, in absolute desperation, they refused to help me because she didn't yet have her diagnosis.