900% rise in private autism and ADHD assessment searches, research finds
Recent data has exposed within the last three months google searches for private autism tests have skyrocketed, signalling services should be more accessible.
Today Brain in Hand, a professional digital support system, have revealed their latest research into autism and ADHD assessments, unveiling that google searches for private tests have hit as many as 100 per day.
The research collected by the digital support organisation highlights the escalating demand for autistic assessments, however recent data has found that the majority of people are stuck on a waiting list for longer than two years.
In an arguably more harrowing case, the data showing the growing demand for an autism or ADHD assessment are made worse as some local health and care partnerships are removing access to tests for adults due to the lack of resources. For example, in March this year North Yorkshire and York Health and Care Partnership announced they are removing access for adults under a new pilot scheme.
As a result, experts from Brain in Hand have discovered people are looking online for support and guidance with search terms such as ‘high functioning autism’ and ‘stimming’ – self-stimulating behaviour – growing by over 5000% during the past three months.
In a bid to help people struggling, Brain in Hand partnered with the Autism Shows, the national event for autism, which took place across England and provided a platform for people to share their lived experiences and challenges in accessing support.
Unfortunately, as it stands, the current backlog of getting a test for the condition, is predicted to reach 190,000 by 2024.
‘it’s impossible to hear so many stories about people’s lives and not feel incredibly motivated to try and make things better. Our mission is to improve autism support and improve the lives of autistic individuals and those living with neurological differences,’ Dr Louise Morpeth, CEO at Brain in Hand said. ‘Record wait times for diagnosis and the soaring demand for private assessments underscore the need for immediate action.’
Dr Morpeth added: ‘We believe that a transformative change is essential to revolutionise access to services, and digital solutions like Brain in Hand can play a crucial role in changing the way that support is accessed, in turn, helping to ensure better outcomes.’
Image: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu
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