Arrest of autistic teen highlights gap in services

A parliamentary committee says it was "very concerned" to discover a gap in services for people with autistic disorders that might extend to those with other disabilities.

The health select committee's report on its financial review of the Mental Health Commission cites 18-year-old autistic woman Emma Steenson, who has a mental age of 11.

She was arrested by Nelson police last month after allegedly assaulting her mother and was held in police cells for three days before being bailed to Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital.

It caused an uproar at the time, and Prime Minister John Key made inquiries about it.

In its report, the committee asked the Mental Health Commission about the case and was told it did not have authority to deal with individual cases.

"We pointed out to the commission that the Health and Disability Commissioner dealt only with the quality of services delivered, not access to services, so in fact this situation did not fit his brief either," the committee said.

"We are very concerned that this incident indicates that a gap exists in services for people with autism spectrum disorder which may extend to other forms of disability."

The committee said it was vital that organisations such as the police, Child, Youth and Family and education authorities were made familiar with autism so the disorder would be recognised.

- NZPA