The Council for Disabled Children have worked with parent carers of autistic children and children with a learning disability, medical professionals and charities to develop a guide to improve conversations and decision-making about the prescription of psychotropic medication.
In line with the existing research, we heard the following concerns from parent carers and professionals:
- Autistic children and those with a learning disability are being prescribed medication that they do not need
- The implications of medications are not being explored or medication is being prescribed without clear information about its impact and how it will be reviewed
All participants felt that these concerns were not always being addressed in conversations between parent carers and professionals, contributing to the risk that medication may be prescribed when other forms of support may be available and this may make their health worse.
To help parent carers and professionals improve their conversations, we have developed a guide that covers five key areas that were highlighted in our research:
- Why are conversations about medication more complex for autistic children and young people and those with a learning disability?
- Parent and carers views about what works and doesn’t work in conversations about medication
- How to have effective conversations when medication is being considered
- How to have effective conversations when medication is being prescribed
- The importance of medication reviews and how to get the most out of them
Each section includes downloadable checklists with prompts and questions which both parents and professionals can use to explore and discuss:
- The reason why medication may be needed
- The importance of trying alternative forms of support
- The potential benefit and side effects of medication
- How medication will be monitored and reviewed
There are practical tools to help parents and professionals gather evidence and make decisions together. There are also links to additional information on specific issues.
This project has been supported by NHS England and is in support of the STOMP (Stopping The Over‐Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both) and STAMP (Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics) campaign which was launched in December 2018 by NHS England and aims to:
- Stop the over-medication of autistic children and young people and children and young people with a learning disability
- Ensure children and young people get the right medicine, at the right time, for the right reason
- Improve access to wider (non-medical) support that gives children and young people choice, control and a good quality of life
Read the guide here
You can find some more information about the NHS England campaign here.
