Part of
Autism and ADHD Pathway

What you can expect when going through the Autism and/or ADHD Assessment Pathway

Navigate this page
Back to Autism and ADHD Pathway

Contents

Understanding the steps in the autism and ADHD

About

Part of
Autism and ADHD Pathway

What you can expect when going through the Autism and/or ADHD Assessment Pathway

About

information

This pathway is for children aged 4 to 17 years who are in school or Electively Home Educated.
For those aged 4 but not yet in school please see the Autism Assessments for 0 to 5 year olds (pre-school) pathway.

Initial Appointment – Online gathering background information and allocating a keyworker

  • A first appointment with the child or young person’s parent carer is offered. In most cases, this appointment will be online by video link.
  • The purpose of this appointment is to gather background and contextual information relevant to the young person’s neurodiversity assessment (including a comprehensive developmental history).
  • The young person is allocated a keyworker from the Children and Young People Neurodevelopmental Partnership Team who will co-ordinate their assessment and be a point of contact.

Second Appointment – Face-to-face with two members of the Children and Young People Neurodevelopmental Partnership Team

  • The child or young person and their parent carer are invited to a second appointment with two members of the CYPNP Team. This appointment is face-to-face.
  • This appointment starts with a discussion about the reasons an assessment is wanted and how it is hoped our work together will be helpful.
  • Informed consent for the assessment is gained from the young person (wherever appropriate) and their parent carer.
  • After this initial chat, wherever possible, the young person and their parent carer are seen separately.

Working with other services and practitioners – gathering information

  • Our team will gather information from other people who have recently, or are currently, working with them.
  • This might involve requesting an update in writing from a school practitioner (such as a teacher or Special Educational Needs Coordinator – SENCo). We might also need to have a conversation with them.

Follow up appointments (as required) – gathering further information

  • Further appointment(s) are offered to gather enough information to enable us to complete the assessment.
  • What this involves is different for every young person.
  • Follow up appointment(s) might involve specialist assessments of cognitive ability (thinking skills), language needs, or other possible areas of difference.
  • This might involve consideration of co-occurring or alternative explanations for the young person’s areas of difference ( for example, medical, genetic needs, attachment or the impact of difficult life events they may have encountered).
  • We may need to observe the young person at their school and home.

Feedback, report, recommendations and follow up – discussing the outcome of the assessment

  • A feedback appointment is offered to share and discuss the outcome of the assessment.
  • A comprehensive report is written for the young person which will include a formulation (understanding) of their areas of difference, confirmation of any diagnosis given.
  • Young person and parent carer are welcome to request a follow-up appointment to discuss the assessment further within three months of receiving the report.
  • We will make some specific recommendations and signpost to any appropriate next steps.

Face to face appointments take place at the following clinics:

  • Taunton
  • Bridgwater
  • Shepton Mallet
  • Frome
  • Yeovil
  • Chard
  • Minehead (only for ADHD follow-ups)
  • Wellington (only for ADHD follow-ups)

Last updated: August 23, 2024

Next review due: February 23, 2025

Back to top