Middletown - a political 'folly'

Ulster Unionist member of the Assembly Education Committee, John McCallister MLA, has said that the Middletown centre for autism is unashamedly a "politically rather than practically motivated decision".

Having questioned the Education Minister on the issue this week, the South Down MLA said that her answers were "utterly unsatisfactory and typically dogmatic".

"Given that international best practice for dealing with children who have autism is early diagnosis and an individualised, predictable, structured and consistent programme, a centre for autism in an isolated location appears to be a complete waste of money," the UUP health spokesperson said.

"Essentially we have already spent millions of pounds on a centre which has thus far not delivered any outcomes for children.

"The idea of taking children on the Autism spectrum totally away from their familiar surroundings for five weeks and then dumping them back home with some sort of programme for life is utterly ludicrous.

"The whole emphasis on provision for those on the spectrum should be by building on the familiar, by the use of timely interventions and therapies, delivered early and locally.

"The capacity of Middletown alone does not meet needs, and when looked at it terms of cost is clearly an unashamed folly.

"Our most vulnerable children, adolescents and adults must not be used as political cannon fodder."