A mother in Draperstown has said her teenage son has been left without support after turning 18 because of how Northern Ireland health trusts assess eligibility for adult disability services. Cherisse Lanigan's son Callan is autistic and has ADHD, anxiety and behavioural issues, but she said an IQ-based threshold has excluded him from help that he previously received.

Callan was diagnosed with autism at age two and attended a special learning unit within a mainstream school. He now goes to a further education college one day a week with support, but his mother said his social and communication difficulties are not captured by a psychometric test. An IQ above 70 means a young person does not qualify for learning disability services, even if they had a statement of special educational needs as a child.

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust acknowledged the approach can present significant challenges for individuals and families who do not meet eligibility criteria. It said it commissions care through specific mental health and learning disability programmes and is engaging with the family.

Northern Ireland's Independent Autism Reviewer Ema Cubitt described it as indefensible that adults with autism are left to navigate complex systems and end up in crisis. Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin has raised Callan's case in the assembly, saying he fell between two stools and was robbed of the chance to try available services.

The Department of Health said it is aware that young people with autism can present vulnerabilities similar to those with a learning disability and that work is underway to improve clarity and consistency for people moving into adulthood, within financial constraints.