0-18 Neurodevelopment (Autism, ADHD and ADD) support and assessment

If you are worried that your child is finding day to day life challenging and that this might be due to difficulties associated with Autism, ADHD or ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder) this page will help you to find out more about autism, ADHD and ADD and what support is available.

The videos below can help to explain a little about Autism, ADHD & ADD

You can speak with Families Together about what support is available on 0300 304 55 55.

Referrals to the Neuro developmental Service can be made by any professional (such as education staff, SENDCO, GP, health visitor, Speech and Language Therapist etc) who knows your child and has a good understanding of your child’s needs. This referral is done by calling the number below.

Call 01484 343184 to book an appointment for a telephone consultation.

If your child is not in a school (such as if they are home educated) and there are no professionals involved who could make a referral then parents/carers can call the referral number above.

The Neurodevelopmental Service are unable to accept referrals for ADHD assessments, for young people under the age of 6 years old.

You can get more help in this area from Kirklees Families Together.

Kirklees Families Together webpage (opens link in new window)

Call 01484 456823

Right to choose means that once a person has been referred for specialist treatment, that person has the Right to choose which hospital, clinic or practitioner that specialist treatment is provided. This includes choosing private hospitals, clinics and practitioners.

For ADHD and Autism assessments, this means that once a young person has been initially assessed (or triaged) and professionals consider a full ADHD or Autism assessment is appropriate, the you have the Right to choose who does that assessment.

For those living in Kirklees, Kirklees Health and Care Partnership have commissioned South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) neurodevelopmental assessment service to carry out the triage process.

Process for Right to Choose in Kirklees:

Step 1

A professional (such as education staff, SENDCO, GP, health visitor, Speech and Language Therapist etc) who knows your child and has a good understanding of your child’s needs calls 01484 343184 to book an appointment for a telephone consultation.

(If your child is not in a school (such as if they are home educated) and there are no professionals involved who could make a referral then parents/carers can call the referral number above.)

Step 2

If following the initial assessment, it is considered appropriate for the young person to have an ADHD/Autism assessment you have the Right to choose who carries out this assessment.

For more detailed information about Right to choose, please go the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Right to choose web page (opens link in new window)

More information about Right To Choose with regards to Neurodevelopmental assessments can be found on the ADHD UK Right to Choose page (opens link in new window) this includes information about services which can carry out assessments.

There are various independent services available (which you will have to pay for) which can provide assessment for ADHD, ADD and Autism.

We have some services on the Local Offer Services directory and you can also search on the internet for these services. We do not recommend any particular service.

Local Offer Services directory (opens link in same window)

You can find more about Private Assessments on this Autism UK page:

Autism UK Assessments information (opens link in new window)

Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a lifelong developmental disorder that can affect the way people understand the world around them, process information and relate to people. Children and young people with ASC sometimes have difficulties with social interaction and communication and may struggle with friendships and play. They may also have some difficulties with routines and rituals, sensory differences, repetitive behaviours and intense and restricted interests.

ADHD is a developmental condition where poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour affects the young person to the extent that it impacts on their day to day functioning.

ADD is a developmental condition, beginning in childhood and often continues into later life. The young person may have difficulty in maintaining attention and concentration, sometimes may have impulsive behaviour.

There is various support that is available for those that are on the assessment waiting list and for those that have not been accepted for assessment.

You do not always need a diagnosis to access this support

You can speak with Kirklees Families Together about what support is available on 0300 304 55 55

Sensory OT service
Complex communication and interaction team (access via school)
Speech and Language Therapy: Work with children with language and communication difficulties. Parents and carers can refer directly.
PCAN: An independent, parent-led forum in Kirklees for all parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs aged from birth to 25 years.
The Whole Autism Family: A voluntary support group formed by parents, with all money they raise going directly into supporting families affected by autism. Contact: 07564 256626 or info@thewholeautismfamily.co.uk
The Huddersfield Support Group for Autism (HSGA): Aims to offer help and advice to families living with autism, including Asperger’s syndrome and pathological demand avoidance syndrome (PDA). A confirmed diagnosis of ASD is not needed to join the group. www.hsga.org.uk
Cerebra UK: Provide sleep support to any family who have a child aged 0-16 with autism or other neurological conditions, development delays or learning difficulties – or who are awaiting an assessment. Telephone – 01267 244200 or 0800328 1159 – enquiries@cerebra.org.uk
The National Autistic Society Autism Helpline: Information and advice for young people who are autistic, or family members or carers of someone on the autism spectrum – telephone: 0808 800 4104.
West Yorkshire ADHD support group - We are a peer-led voluntary support group offering a wide range of support to both adults with ADHD and parents/carers of children with ADHD. You/your child does not need a diagnosis to join our group. If you suspect that you/your child may have ADHD, you are very welcome to join us. The support we offer is tailored to the individuals needs and includes listening to concerns and providing moral support, providing information on ADHD and co-morbid conditions and giving practical advice on coping strategies as well as advocacy where required. For more information, send a message via their Facebook page (opens in new window). Or email them at rachael@wyadhd.org.uk or support@wyadhd.org.uk

If you are worried that your child is finding day to day life challenging and that this might be due to difficulties associated with ASC, ADHD or ADD, please discuss your concerns with a professional who knows your child well to see if they have the same concerns and discuss if a referral for an assessment is appropriate. Please note that referrals will only be accepted from professionals who know the child well. Parents cannot refer.

You can also discuss your concerns by telephoning Kirklees Families Together on 0300 304 5555.

Someone from the SPA team will then contact you to discuss your concerns. They will ask you some questions to help you get the right help and support and may ask for your permission to speak to your child’s nursery/school/college or other appropriate professional to gather further information. This is to create a full picture of your child’s needs and to make sure that your child and family have access to support as soon as possible.

Where professionals aren’t involved in your child’s life, don’t worry – each case is considered on an individual basis

There may be other things that need to happen before a referral to the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Service can be made and this will be explained and discussed with you.

Who can make a referral?

Referrals to the Neuro developmental Service can be made by any professional who knows your child and has a good understanding of your child’s needs by telephoning 01484 343184 to book an appointment for a telephone consultation. Please note that referrals will only be accepted from professionals who know the child well. Parents cannot refer.

The professional who has made the referral telephones the neurodevelopmental assessment service at the agreed time to discuss the referral. The neurodevelopmental assessment service records the information required. The referrer is informed if the referral is accepted or declined for assessment at that time.

If the referral is accepted the clinician will advise the referrer of the current waiting time for a full assessment for them to advise if you would like to join the waiting list.

If declined, the reasons will be explained to the referrer with information about what needs to happen next.

The neurodevelopmental assessment service will send a letter to you confirming the outcome of the referral and accepted referrals are added to the waiting list. Detailed information about the assessment process is provided to families once they have been accepted onto the waiting list.

Support available

All of the above support will continue to be available while you are waiting and if your child has not accepted on to the waiting list

Contact single point of access if you need support while you are waiting for your assessment. They can provide help and advice and put you in contact with other appropriate services.

The process for making a referral is:

Referrer books a telephone consultation / triage appointment - The referrer calls the neurodevelopmental assessment service on 01484 343184 to book a convenient telephone appointment. The neurodevelopmental assessment service can also provide information and signposting as appropriate.

The service recommend referrals are made by professionals who know the child well, see them on a daily or weekly basis, and can talk easily about education, social engagement, strengths and weaknesses and the support which is in place for the child/young person and the impact it is having. This is to ensure that support is provided as early as possible; and the right children and young people are on the waiting list. A referral for assessment should only be made when there is a strong likelihood that the child has a neurodevelopmental condition. Parents/carers need to identify the most appropriate professional to make the referral.

Telephone consultation - A member of the neurodevelopmental assessment service calls the referrer at their given appointment time to gather the relevant information and provides advice and guidance. The telephone consultation should take approximately 30 minutes. The referrer is informed if the referral is accepted or declined for assessment either at that time or within 2 days if there is complexity that requires a team discussion. If declined, it is explained to the referrer why and what needs to happen next. If accepted, Right to Choose applies. The referrer is advised of the current waiting time for an assessment.

After the telephone consultation - The neurodevelopmental assessment service sends a letter to the parent, and a copy to the referrer, confirming the outcome of the telephone consultation and accepted referrals are added to waiting list. If a parent, chooses to proceed with a different provider through Right to Choose they should take their acceptance letter to their GP and notify the neurodevelopmental assessment service so that they can be removed from the waiting list.

The right to choose only applies once a GP has determined it is clinically appropriate for a patient to be referred. To support the referral process Kirklees Health and Care Partnership have commissioned South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) neurodevelopmental assessment service to triage referrals.

Kirklees Health and Care Partnership takes its duty of care, to its patients, very seriously, ensuring that referrals are made to services/providers where care is clinically appropriate, and that the services/providers have been through the relevant quality assurance mechanisms.

Cygnet parenting support group

The Cygnet Parent Support Programme aims to support parents and carers of a child or young person aged 5-18 who has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Conditions.

There are 6 sessions, and it is essential to attend all of them to get the most from the programme. Sessions will last approximately 2-3 hrs each. Find out more on the Cygnet information sheet which can be downloaded here. (opens word document in new window)

Cygnet will run throughout the year.

To access the programme please make a support request through Thriving Kirklees on 0300 304 5555 or on the support page (opens link in new window)

Support available if not diagnosed

If your child does not receive a diagnosis of ASC, ADHD, ADD and you need support share your concerns at your feedback appointment. The team will put you in touch with appropriate support or you can contact the Kirklees Families Together Single Point of Access on 0300 304 55 55

The Adults with Autism service is a run by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation trust (SWYPFT).

The service offers adults diagnostic assessment and/or specialist interventions for people who are 18 years+ and do not have an intellectual disability.

There main clinic is based at the Manygates clinic in Wakefield, however they use a number of community bases, including ones in Kirklees.

Service users have access to a multi-disciplinary team which includes medical, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy and speech & language therapy practitioners. Specialist social work support is also available from the team or from our local authority partners.

Referrals are accepted from GP's, consultants and other services within the SWYPFT.

This services has a FAQ document about the referral process, which can be found here (downloads word document).

You will be contacted by South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) with an appointment for the diagnostic assessment.

Outcome of the assessment:

If you are diagnosed and meet the criteria for an Autism Spectrum Disorder, you and in some cases your family, may have a lot of questions. You will be offered up to 2 more appointments to discuss the implications of the diagnosis for you and what support may be helpful for you. This is not compulsory and not everyone feels they need this and decline the offer.

Depending where you live, you may also be offered further specialist health or social care interventions from the Service which will be discussed with you at the time.

How to make a complaint, appeal a decision, or provide feedback

The service encourages feedback as a way of improving services. If you wish to share your views and experiences, positive or negative, please contact the service in the first instance. The service may directly be able to resolve any issues quickly.

If however, you are not satisfied with the response, SWYPFT have a dedicated Customer Services Team who deals with all comments, compliments, concerns and complaints.

You can contact the Customer Services Team in the following ways:

In person: We are happy to meet with you. You can contact us in one of the ways below to arrange an appointment. If you are in hospital you can ask a member of staff to contact us on your behalf.

By telephone: 01924 316060

By email: customer.servicesSWYT@nhs.net

By post: Customer Services, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Block 10, Fieldhead, Ouchthorpe Lane, Wakefield WF1 3SP

Next Adult (18+) Autism & ADHD assessments

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Last updated: 13/07/2021

Useful links

0-18 Neurodevelopment (Autism, ADHD and ADD) support and assessment

How to make a complaint, appeal a decision, or provide feedback

Useful links

Autism Central

Neurodevelopmental Family Navigator Service

Neurodevelopmental Connections Service

ADHD UK

ADHD Counselling Directory

WYHCP - Right to Choose