Services
Support a child’s neurodiversity
About neurodiversity
A diagnosis isn’t required before you can start to understand your child’s needs or get them support at home or in school.
Deciding what’s best for your child
You can also answer child behaviour questions which will provide you with guidance and resources for specific needs. Completing the questions may also help you describe your child’s behaviour and personality traits when you speak to others about their support needs.
NICE Guidance for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) recommends that parents or carers should be offered a referral to group-based ADHD-focused support (this should not wait for a formal diagnosis of ADHD). In Gloucestershire this course if offered by Gloucestershire Health and Care Services, referral into this course needs to be made by a professional.
About autism and ADHD assessments
Families may request an autism or ADHD assessment for a range of different reasons. Autism and ADHD assessments are carried out by specialist clinical staff. To undertake the assessment a significant amount of information will need to be provided from both the family and the child or young person’s education setting, if they attend one.
There are four steps to the assessment process:
- Collect information – observations about the child’s behaviour from their parent/carer and Education Setting.
- Request an assessment – by completing all the essential referral documents.
- Get assessed – meet with specialist staff to understand and assess the child’s needs. If it is an ADHD assessment a Qb test may also be required What is QbTest? | Focus ADHD – YouTube
- Outcome – recommendations and support plans for the child, including whether or not they are diagnosed as autistic and/or having ADHD.
More information about autism and ADHD assessments
How to request an autism and/or ADHD assessment
For information about autism and ADHD assessments visit glosfamilies directory
For a child or young person who is registered with a GP practice in Gloucestershire referrals for autism assessments for children aged 0-18 years and ADHD assessments for children aged 11-18 years are made through Gloucestershire’s Social Communication and Autism Assessment Service (SCAAS) and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Neurodiversity Team.
SCAAS and CAMHS Neurodiversity Team can accept referrals from any health or education professional who knows the child well, however they are unable to accept referrals from parents, carers or self-referrals.
Referrals for ADHD Assessments for children aged 6-11 years old should be made to the Community Paediatricians within Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. These referrals will need to be made via the child’s GP with supporting information.
Parents or carers with concerns about their child should speak to their education setting to discuss support needs and if a referral is appropriate.
Right to Choose Assessments
If your child is being referred for an Autism or ADHD assessment, you have the legal right to choose the specialist NHS service provider they are seen by. This provides some information on the options available, to help you to make informed choices that best suit your circumstances. The options are:
Autism
- Referral to the local NHS Gloucestershire Autism assessment service which offers assessment only
- Referral to an NHS Right to Choose Autism assessment service provider that offers assessment only.
ADHD
- Referral to the local NHS Gloucestershire ADHD service which offers assessment and ongoing care if you are prescribed medication.
- Referral to an NHS Right to Choose ADHD service provider that offers assessment only.
Only a GP can refer you to a Right to Choose provider but referrals into the Gloucestershire NHS autism and ADHD assessment service can come from any professional who knows your child well, this is often professionals within their education setting.
Following your child or young person’s assessment if your child receives an ADHD diagnosis and requires medication the specialist service might seek a “shared care arrangement” with your GP. A shared care arrangement means that clinical responsibility for the child or young person’s care is shared between the GP and the hospital or specialist service (such as the NHS Gloucestershire ADHD service). It is recommended that you talk with your GP before making your choice as their agreement for a shared care arrangement will depend on who completed the assessment. There are currently no children’s NHS Right to Choose providers who offer on going care and therefore referrals made are for assessment only. This means if your child or young person requires medication following an NHS Right to Choose assessment, the GP will be unable to agree to a shared care arrangement.
If you have accessed a right to choose ADHD assessment and would like the NHS Gloucestershire service to consider prescribing medication, you will have to wait to reach the top of their waiting list before being offered this. Your child / young person’s referral date to the NHS Gloucestershire service will be considered as the date your GP referred you to the right to choose provider.
Referral to the local NHS Gloucestershire Autism and/or ADHD service
There is a local NHS pathway for Autism and ADHD services for children and young people. These services offer a face-to-face assessment in local clinics. For children and young people diagnosed with ADHD who require medication follow-up care will be provided.
Your GP will usually have confidence in agreeing a shared care arrangement with the NHS Gloucestershire ADHD service to provide consistent ongoing care of a high standard.
Demand for local NHS Autism and ADHD services is increasing, and this is affecting the waiting times people experience between being referred to the service and being assessed. NHS Gloucestershire is striving to respond to this demand and maximise the use of its resources to provide high quality, equitable NHS services for people in Gloucestershire.
Referral to an NHS Right to Choose Autism and/or ADHD service provider outside Gloucestershire that offers assessment only
There is a range of NHS Right to Choose Autism and ADHD assessment providers outside Gloucestershire that offer assessments only. Face-to-face appointments may take place in clinics outside of the county. Some of these service providers may offer online assessments. Some of these providers may have shorter waiting times for assessment than the local service.
If a child or young person requires ADHD medication following their assessment, the GP will need to refer them to the NHS Gloucestershire ADHD service provider for ongoing care. This would involve going on to the NHS waiting list. Children and young people who have a completed assessment will not be prioritised ahead of children waiting for an initial assessment but will be seen in order of the date of the original GP referral for assessment. This means there would be a delay between getting the diagnosis and starting NHS treatment.
If you have chosen to pay for an ADHD assessment from a private healthcare service
Some private healthcare services offer ADHD assessment for a fee, or via private healthcare insurance. Gloucestershire GPs may not be familiar with the details of the private healthcare ADHD services they offer and may be unwilling to enter into a shared care agreement. Any ADHD care and treatment recommended by the private provider that you wish to take will need to be paid for privately by you, this would include entering into an on-going shared care arrangement with the GP for medication.
Patients who have paid for a private ADHD assessment but want to access NHS treatment will need to be referred by their GP to the NHS Gloucestershire ADHD service for review before NHS treatment can be offered. The NHS Gloucestershire ADHD Service may choose to undertake a further assessment if they feel this is required. Children and young people who have a completed assessment will not be prioritised ahead of children waiting for an initial assessment.
The NHS assessment service does not offer on-going care for children diagnosed with autism or with ADHD if medication is not required.
Get support and advice
Answer 10 short questions to help you understand your child’s behaviour, and what support is available to help. You can download a PDF copy of your responses.
Guidance for specific needs
Resources to help support neurodivergent children at home and at school.
Speech and language
Speech and language videos
Useful videos for helping neurodivergent children with their communication needs
Understanding and communication
NHS leaflet providing tips and tricks to help with talking and understanding
Children’s Speech and Language Therapy – Toolkit
Useful information and ideas on how to work on a range of speech and language difficulties
Speech and language resources for younger children
The National Autistic Society have produced some social stories and comic strip conversations which can help people with autism develop a greater social understanding and help them stay safe.
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has information about visual aids, cut out and laminated cards of objects, concepts or events to help communicate with the child.
View and download 16 different pictures to use to help communicate with your child.
Create your own visual aid for your child: print out the ‘Now’, ‘Next’ and ‘Well done’ boxes and draw and/or write the appropriate tasks that your child needs to do.
ICAN CHARITY, the children’s communication charity, also has useful information to aid communication and understanding.
Speech and language resources for older children and teenagers
The Speech and Language Therapy Team at the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has produced a number of resources to support improving children’s language and communication.
The Speech and Language UK website is a good place to find information and resources on a child’s development, including an online questionnaire to gauge their needs.
Attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity
Helpful strategies for children with ADHD
- Monitor environmental distraction
- Take regular movement breaks
- Chunked learning
- Take regular exercise
- Encourage good sleep patterns
Let’s talk about ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: ADHD Foundation
National Attention Deficit and Disorder Information Service (ADDISS)
Emotional regulation
The 5-point scale
Using the 5-point scale
Young minds
Emotional regulation resources for children under 4
PACE stands for Playful, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. It is a way of thinking, feeling and communicating and behaving that aims to make the child feel safe.
The Challenging Behaviour Organisation has information and guidance on challenging behaviour which may be useful.
The Yvonne Newbold website provides information on Violent and Challenging behaviour.
The Yvonne Newbold website also provides 15 Resilience Tips For Parents of Children with SEND VCB.
The Elsa Support website shows the emotional traffic light card system for younger ages.
Emotional regulation resources for older children and teenagers
The Beaconhouse website has a useful poster that illustrates ‘The Anxiety Cycle’ as well as one that explains the ‘Fight and Flight mode’. These can be found under the child and family mental health section.
Animation explaining why we lose control of our emotions
‘Worry tree’ poster setting out an action plan on how to deal with worry, along with other useful guides from www.GetSelfHelp.co.uk
Coordination, balance motor planning and fine motor skills
What are Gross Motor and Fine Motor Skills?
Does your child have difficulties with coordination?
Active for Life: Get Active at Home!
Coordination resources for older children
Using hand gyms to improve fine motor skills (Beacon House Therapeutic Services & Trauma Team)
Sensory levels
Flexibility and adaptability
How to deal with repetitive behaviour
How to deal with change and transition
Social communication and interaction
Theory of mind
Supporting social skills
Social skills worksheets
Free worksheets from ThoughtCo. to help children practice social skills
Social skills resources for younger children
Social Stories Archives by Autism Little Learners can be used for younger age groups to from two to eight years old.
Social skills resources for older children
Video explaining the concept of empathy to an older child: Brené Brown on Empathy
Sleep
The Sleep Charity
Sleep advice service
Sleep resources
Sleep resources for younger children
HappyMaps – a website designed by local GPs which has a range of useful sleep-related resources and links for different ages, including babies and primary age children
Sleep resources for older children
HappyMaps – a website designed by local GPs which has a range of useful sleep-related resources and links for different ages, including older children and young people.
Teen Sleep Hub provides advice on how to sleep better, tips on tweaking your routine and helps you understand the science behind sleep patterns
Toileting
Bowel and bladder conditions
Clinically approved information and resources to help with potty training and children’s bowel and bladder conditions.
Handy guide: Toilet training
Understanding why some children smear poo
Eating
Helping overcome eating difficulties
Sensory play toolkit
Supporting selective eaters
Local and national support
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Support for Families with SEND – Gloucestershire’s Local Offer | Glosfamilies Directory
SENDIASS provides information, advice and support on matters relating to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilitieswww.sendiassglos.org.uk
Parent and carer forums
Parent carer forums are groups of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parent carer forums offer a network of support through where you can ask questions and raise issues.
Parent carer forums also work with local authorities, education settings, health and social care providers to make sure that the planning and provision of services for families takes full account of parent carer views and experiences, so that those services can be effective, timely and the best use of resources.
Autism support
Family Information Service (FIS) provides a wide range of advice on things like family support, education, childcare and activities either on the directory www.glosfamiliesdirectory.org.uk, by phone on 01452 427 362 or email familyinfo@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Children and Families Front Door, if support is needed from Gloucestershire County Council services call 01452 42 65 65 or email childrenshelpdesk@gloucestershire.gov.uk
The National Autistic Society Website has very helpful information https://www.autism.org.uk/
The ‘Families under pressure’ charity has good tips on managing behaviour and difficult times Families Under Pressure – Maudsley Charity
