Neurodevelopmental assessment and diagnosis process

Conditions we assess

The neurodevelopmental conditions we assess:

• Autism in children and young people from 0 to 12 years old
• ADHD in children and young people from 6 to 17 years old

For autism in young people 14 years old and older, a referral will need to be made to child and adult mental health service (CAMHS). 

Visit Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS) South Bedfordshire and Luton.

Visit Child and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS) North Bedfordshire.

We do not assess children under 6 years old with ADHD. This is because the traits associated with ADHD are part of the typical development of children between 2 to 5 years old. For example, we expect children under 5 to find it hard to sit still for long periods of time.

Referral process

We accept referrals from health visitors, nurseries and schools. We do not accept referrals from GPs.

Neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and autism have traits that are hard to spot in a short period of time. We accept referrals from professionals who have spent time with your child or young person who know your child well. 

The health visitor, nursery staff or school staff will complete a referral form and send it into our service. As part of the referral you may be asked some questions about your child or young person. These questions will be about the types of behaviour your child or young person is showing.

Rejected referrals

A referral can be rejected or refused because:

• there is not enough information to make a decision
• it is not the right service for the questions being asked

If your referral is rejected, don't worry. There are still services you can access whilst a decision is being made. 

Accepted referrals

When your referral has been accepted, you will be placed onto a waiting list for an assessment. You will be sent a letter confirming your accepted referral with some information on what you can do whilst you wait for your appointment.

Who you will see and speak to

As part of the assessment process, your child may need multiple assessments from specialist professionals and services. This is a completely normal part of the process. It helps us to get more information about your child or young person. 

You may speak to:

Paediatricians assess and diagnose children with ADHD and autism. They work with education professionals and other professionals to support children with additional needs in education. 

Educational psychologists advise and consult parents and carers on how to help their child or young person to learn effectively. They train early years settings and schools to help neurodivergent children and young people to make the most of their education. They can also provide assessments.

• Bedford Borough Psychology Team
• Central Bedfordshire Educational psychology for schools
• Luton Child and Education Psychology Service

Occupational therapists help children to participate, learn and develop independence in activities of daily living (such as eating, personal care and play). Their help is unique to each child or young person's needs. It can include teaching new skills and techniques, recommending different ways of completing tasks, adapting the environment or assessing for suitable equipment to support function.

Speech and language therapists are specialists who assess speech, language and communication skills. They specialise in assessing neurodivergent children and young people. They are train to look closely at play, imagination, flexibility of thought, communication, socialising, and restrictive or repetitive patterns of behaviour or interests.  

Child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) - specialists that support difficult feelings like anger sadness, etc.

Assessment process

The assessment process takes place in 4 stages. 

1. Forms and questionnaires
2. Face-to-face appointments
3. Clinician assessment
4. Assessment outcome

There are some differences between the ADHD and autism assessment processes. There will be different forms and questionnaires and the face-to-face appointments will be slightly different.

If your child or young person is being assessed for both ADHD and autism,

1. Forms and questionnaires

Forms and questionnaires will be sent to you in the post. These will also be sent to your child or young person's school.  If your child or young person is homeschooled, we will ask their tutor or clubs/groups they attend. 

These forms and questionnaires will have lots of questions asking about your child or young person's behaviours and difficulties.

Please fill out the questionnaire and send it back to us as soon as possible. 

2. Face-to-face appointments

A face-to-face appointment will be arranged once we've received the forms and questionnaires. You will be contacted by telephone or post to book a face-to-face appointment.

These face-to-face appointments are a chance for us to meet your child or young person. You may be asked to go to more than one appointment. This is completely normal. We want to get as much information as possible before assessing your child. 

Booking an appointment

The appointments will be during school hours. We have limited Saturday appointments. You may need to wait longer for an appointment if you would prefer a Saturday appointment. We will try to find a time that best suits you and your child.

When booking an appointment, you will be asked if you need an interpreter. An interpreter is available for people who speak English as a second language or use British sign language (BSL). We will arrange for a professional interpreter to join the appointment. We want to make sure you can focus on your child or young person and the appointment.

What to bring to an appointment

We would encourage you to bring:

• Notes about your child or young person like their behaviours or what they were like as a baby.
• Questions or concerns you have.
• Videos showing your child or young person's behaviour (please ensure you have consent from your child or young person)
• Toys or books for your child or young person to keep them entertained as they are waiting.
• Snacks if you think your child or young person will get hungry. 

We have downloads/printouts available for you and your child or young person. You and your child or young person can complete and bring to the appointment. This is not required, but you may find them helpful.

Once we have the information from the face-to-face appointments, forms and questionnaires, our clinician can assess your child or young person. 

Your child or young person will need to meet the diagnosis criteria, also known as 'diagnostic threshold'. 

Once your child has been assessed, we will arrange an appointment to discuss the findings of your child or young person's assessment. We will also talk about your child's behaviours and needs. If you think it will be helpful, you can bring a family member, friend or staff from school to support you.

If your child or young person does not meet the criteria for an ADHD or autism diagnosis, we will explain why. We will try to give you a reason for their behaviours and needs. 

If your child or young person meets the criteria for an ADHD or autism diagnosis, we can tell you more about their diagnosis and the support that is available.

Regardless of the outcome, we will give you information and resources to help your child or young person's needs. These will help you find the right ongoing support for your child or young person. 

Next steps

Whatever the outcome of the assessment process, it's important to celebrate your child or young person for who they are. This is only one part of the journey for your child or young person. 

Make sure to celebrate their strengths and what makes them unique. 

We have worked with neurodivergent children, young people and their families to help them focus on their unique qualities.