Meeting of the Parliament 01 April 2025
I thank my friend and colleague Daniel Johnson for continuing to shine a light on this issue. The fact that we need to continue to shine that light should bring shame on us all.
It had not been my intention to speak in the debate; instead, I wanted to listen to those speaking today. However, when I was speaking to some of the autism campaigners, I asked their permission to talk about some of the issues that I want to raise, and they gave it to me.
Last week, I met representatives from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and heard about its report. Shockingly, there was, between 2019 and 2021, a rise of up to 800 per cent in referrals for ADHD. At the same time, we have a reduced psychology sector in which, as Jackie Baillie has said, people are hitting burnout and moving to the private sector to get a work-life balance.
I was struck by Elena Whitham’s point about the need for a whole-system, holistic approach, and I will be focusing some of my speech on the societal approach in education. I might well bore members with it, but I will never tire of talking about how we must give kids outlets to express themselves. I raised with the autism campaigners the withdrawal of the ability to be physically active or involved in music, drama or art and how the impact of that on those who are neurodivergent can be much more significant.
In that respect, I remember a couple of issues that my constituents raised with me. In one case, there were a couple of children who loved to do art. They could remain in the mainstream as long as they had quiet time to themselves to do their art. The problems started after that was withdrawn, because they had no outlet for their thoughts and processes.
As I have said before in the chamber, one of the most fulfilling times in my coaching career was when I worked with a couple of children with autism and with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It was extraordinarily fulfilling to be involved in the impact that that routine had on their lives.
We need to consider how we structure our education system. Despite what the minister and the Government might say, there is no question but that there has been a reduction in children’s ability to participate in such outlets in schools and communities. When I spoke to the autism campaigners, I learned that that has a more profound impact on people with neurodivergent conditions. We need to consider a whole-system approach and how we ensure that such children can interact with, take part in and be a part of community and society.
I had not thought about getting to my feet in this debate, but I felt compelled to do so. Once again, I thank Daniel Johnson for compelling me with his very powerful speech. We need to make a societal change in this matter across all the portfolios that we look after in the Parliament.
18:02