Perth mum Sarah Jackson thinks her five-year-old daughter Ayla has ADHD, just like her older sister.<\/p>\n
But she’s been told it will be four years to get a diagnosis if she wants to wait in the public system.<\/p>\n
Ms Jackson said that wait has had an emotional toll on her family.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know what the future holds for Ayla and that’s \u2026 scary,” Ms Jackson said.<\/p>\n
“There’s no early intervention for her.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ayla is only five, and therefore is unable to be given an ADHD diganosis by a GP in WA. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Ayla will miss out on a new program that makes it easier to get an ADHD diagnosis.<\/p>\n
In Western Australia, 65 general practitioners will be trained to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication, but only for children older than 10.<\/p>\n
“I was pretty disappointed and disheartened that she would be nine years old just to even get that first appointment,” Ms Jackson said.<\/p>\n
With Ayla set to start school next year, Ms Jackson said it has filled her family with uncertainty surrounding Ayla’s education.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know what’s going to happen between now and [age] nine with her learning and how she’s going to cope.”<\/p>\n
“It just puts her in limbo land because by the time she gets to the point of actually having the choice of a GP or the paediatrician … It’s going to be too late for her.”<\/p>\n
Difficulties diagnosing younger children<\/p>\n
The Royal Australian College of GPs, which will train the specialist doctors, said caution is needed when diagnosing younger children.<\/p>\n
Sean Stevens, from RACGP’s WA branch said the college hasn’t decided whether more training is required to diagnose children under 10.<\/p>\n
“We feel that \u2026 there are difficulties in that cohort,” Dr Stevens said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dr Sean Stevens says diagnosing patiends under 10 can be problematic.\u00a0 (ABC News: Lily Kristanto)<\/p>\n
“At this stage we feel it’s best with this training to focus on the 10 and up.”<\/p>\n
But the rules differ in each jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
In Queensland, GPs are allowed to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication for children as young as 4.<\/p>\n
New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT will also train doctors to diagnose and treat the condition in children, but haven’t specified at what age.<\/p>\n
In Tasmania, more GPs and paediatricians are being recruited to deal with long waitlists.<\/p>\n
Thousands on public waitlist<\/p>\n
Through WA’s public health system, psychologists can diagnose children with ADHD, and paediatricians are able to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication for children.<\/p>\n
Ayla was not given a wait time, but there are more than 12,000 children on WA’s public waitlist to see a paediatrician for a range of conditions.<\/p>\n
Ms Jackson said it affects a lot more than just the children.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sarah Jackson says the long waiting lists to see health professionals is having a big impact on society.\u00a0 (ABC News)<\/p>\n
“I know that there are families out there who are really struggling, who are on that wait list who aren’t getting supported and they’ve had to quit their job,” Ms Jackson said.<\/p>\n
“Some of them, they just need help now, it’s absolutely shocking.”<\/p>\n
“It’s underestimated, the impact that that wait list is having on our society. Families need more support.”<\/p>\n
Ms Jackson said going private was not an option financially.<\/p>\n