Advice and resources : Autism FAQs (test page)

If both the family and school are unable to access the online system, please speak to the ADHD and Autism Triage Team who can help to provide support.

Email: CYPADHDandAutismTriage@berkshire.nhs.uk
Phone: 0118 904 6620

The form can be completed by another professional who knows the young person well. This could be a health visitor, speech and language therapist, therapist, home tutor, family support worker or social worker. If you feel there is no one suitable to complete the form, please contact the ADHD and Autism Triage team:  

Email: CYPADHDandAutismTriage@berkshire.nhs.uk  
Phone: 0118 9046620 

Please note, a GP would not be able to provide this information as they would not know your child well enough. 

If a child or young person is known to school staff, we ask that the school works in partnership with the family, as they can provide valuable information about the child or young person's strengths, needs and the reasons they are not currently attending. Where a child or young person is not known to school staff, another professional with direct knowledge of the child or young person should work collaboratively with the family to provide this information.

During school holidays, please wait until the school or setting reopens before completing the form. Education staff can provide valuable information about the child or young person's experiences, strengths and support needs, helping to build a complete picture across different settings.

It is common for children and young people to present differently at home and at school. Some may work hard to manage the school day and only show signs of stress, distress or exhaustion when they return home. 

Where concerns differ, it is important for parents, carers, education staff and other professionals to share information and work together. By sharing observations and completing information together, a fuller picture of their strengths, needs and any challenges can be developed. This can help identify appropriate support and strategies to promote their wellbeing. 

This is the support in place that is above and beyond what would be typical to support a child/young person at this stage of development. A support plan is expected to include areas of need we would typically associate with possible autism and/or possible ADHD.  

It should include any support that has been offered at home, in school or by other services involved. It can include strategies that have been introduced at home as well as strategies recommended or put in place by professionals. Often relatively small changes can make a big difference.

Support should be based on a child or young person's needs and does not require a diagnosis. It is important that parents, carers, education staff and any professionals involved work together to develop a shared understanding of the child or young person's strengths, difficulties and support needs. 

Sharing clear examples of what is working well, what is challenging, and any strategies that have been helpful can support the development of an effective support plan. Even where concerns differ between home and school, trialling appropriate support can help to reduce stress and improve outcomes.

A minimum of six months (or two school terms) allows time to put support in place, review its impact and understand the child or young person’s needs over time. This graduated approach helps identify what strategies are effective and, in some cases, may mean that needs can be met without a formal assessment. Parents, carers, education staff and other professionals should work together to gather this information and review progress.

We understand that a diagnosis has multiple and important meaning for young people, and this can be very individual and personal to them.

We will continue to carry out assessments and diagnosis where it is clear this is needed, where there is ongoing impact, and the assessment will clearly add value.

You are able to submit the referral form yourself, but we will still require information from people who know you well (e.g. parent/carer) and school or college. You may wish to contact us to discuss making a referral if you require any support.  
 
Email: CYPADHDandAutismTriage@berkshire.nhs.uk  
Phone: 0118 9046620 

It's very difficult to accurately predict the wait for an individual child or young person, as waits can go up and down depending on a number of factors (including staff vacancies) and what type of appointment the child or young person is waiting for. 

Currently the waits to be seen are:  

Autism Assessment Service: approximately 28-36 months
ADHD Service: approximately 30-40 months 

We are sorry for the long waiting times. We understand this can be very difficult and are working as hard as we can to reduce these. Please keep in mind that support should be based on needs (not on diagnosis), and much of the same support available after a diagnosis is available before an assessment. 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is based on the care needs of a child or young person rather than a diagnosis. There is no need to wait for a diagnosis before making an application.

An application can be made at any time if the care needs for the child or young person are significantly more than another child of the same age. This is based on what you have to do, how often you have to do it and how long it takes. This includes care during the day, during the night and care needed in and outside the home.

Support for children should be based on needs (not on diagnosis) and much of the support that can be accessed is the same, regardless of whether a child has an ADHD and/or autism diagnosis or not. Please find more information about support on the following pages:

SHaRON Jupiter: an online support network for parents and carers of young people with ADHD or autism or parents and carers who have children waiting for either/both assessments.

If you are interested in joining, please email us at: sharon.jupiter@berkshire.nhs.uk. Please include your child’s name, and your name and contact details.

ADHD and Autism Support Services: There are NHS locally commissioned services for Berkshire which offer a range of support to families, wherever they are on their journey. No diagnosis is needed for either of these services and you do not need anyone to refer you.

For families who live in or have a GP in Reading, Wokingham or West Berkshire, you can visit the Autism Berkshire website below.

For families who live in or have a GP in Bracknell, Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead, you can visit Gems4Health below.

Parenting Special Children: Parenting Special Children is a Berkshire-based charity that offer additional support to families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), neurodivergence, and additional needs.

You can visit the website below or call 0118 986 3532.

For further support, please see our Getting Help Now and resources pages.

• Visit the Autism Berkshire website
• Visit the Gems4Health website
• Visit the Parenting Special Children website
• Autism resources

There is a range of resources and free training to help schools with supporting children and young people below, as well as: 

Psychological Perspectives in Education and Primary Care (PPEPCare) Training: Flexible and free training for EYS/schools delivered by Berkshire Healthcare, with a total of 17 modules covering autism, ADHD and a wide range of common concerns and mental health difficulties. Please contact us for further information.

• Supporting neurodiversity in schools guidance
• Our advice pages and workshops
• Inclusivity in schools article
• Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS)
• Guidance for developing inclusive school policies
• Person-centred profiling tool for children and young people from Bracknell Forest

If your child was under 5 at the time of referral and your GP is within Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough or Bracknell, you will be seen by the East Berkshire Community Paediatrics Team for your autism assessment.

Your child will usually be offered a joint assessment with a community paediatrician and a speech and language therapist (SLT). If other services are already involved, an SLT assessment may not be needed.

Up to two adults can attend with your child. To minimise distractions, please do not bring siblings. Trainee staff may also attend with your agreement.

The play-based assessment typically lasts 30 to 40 minutes, followed by a short break and feedback session. You may wish to bring a drink and snack for your child.

Following the assessment, the clinicians will review their findings and discuss the outcome with you. If your child is diagnosed with autism, we will provide information about local and online support. A summary report will be sent to you within four weeks.

The report can be used as evidence of your child's diagnosis, strengths and needs. Unless there are additional medical concerns, no routine paediatric follow-up will be required.

Around six weeks after diagnosis, a member of the team will contact you to discuss available support, workshops and parent groups.

More information about the East Berkshire Community Paediatric Team can be found below.

We know that children and young people can feel worried about coming to a new place and meeting new people. Before your appointment we will ask you to complete some paperwork, and there is space there to share information about anything that you think might make the assessment process more challenging for your child (e.g. anxiety, difficulties leaving the house, language and communication needs). We will make changes to the assessment process where possible and discuss this with you.

We also routinely send families information about what to expect at the assessment which you can share with your child. We would suggest talking to your child about autism before their assessment (if this feels appropriate) so that they are aware of why they are meeting the team. Older children will need to provide their consent for us to complete the assessment, so it is very helpful if parents/carers have spoken to their child about the possibility of an autism diagnosis before meeting us. We will be able to provide more information and answer any questions at the assessment appointment.

If you're considering paying for a private assessment, it's worth finding out how your school or local authority would respond to the assessment and any recommendations made. Check how the assessment will be conducted and whether it meets NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) or good practice recommendations. A private assessment company should be able to answer your questions about how their assessment is completed and whether it is compliant with NICE guidelines.

If you have a private assessment, please let us know so that we can remove your child from our waiting list. If you have any difficulties following a private assessment you can send us a copy of the report, and as long as it meets good practice guidelines we will be able to write a letter stating that they do not need further assessment.

The ADHD and Autism teams are now using Berkshire Healthcare's Patient Portal, powered by Portasana, to manage appointments and communications.

We recommend downloading the Portasana app for easier access. The app is available free of charge from the Google Play Store (Android) and the App Store (Apple).

When an appointment is booked for your young person, you will receive a text message from us stating:

“You have been invited to access your Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Patient Portal, powered by Portasana”

The message will contain a link for you to register and sign in. Once registered, you will be able to:

• View appointment details
• Access digital appointment letters
• Confirm appointments
• Request to rebook appointments when necessary

For further information on the Patient Portal, please visit Our Patient Portal.

If you experience any difficulties registering for or using the portal, please contact the ADHD or Autism administration teams for support.

• Our Patient Portal by Portasana

If you’re a family member, carer, or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available from a range of local communities and national organisations.

We can provide language translation and interpretation support.

Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.

We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:

• Telephone interpreting
• Video remote interpreting (VRI)
• Face‑to‑face interpreting
• Written translation
• British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting

Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to get information in a format that meets their needs.

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers. This means making sure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand our information and communicate with us easily.

We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:

• British Sign Language (BSL) 
• Large print 
• Braille 
• Audio 
• Easy read 
• Email 
• Text message 
• Face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present 

If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.

Yes, you are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.

These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.

To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.

Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.

Respect is important.

We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.

Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.

We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.

This may include contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.

The easiest way to find your NHS number is using the official NHS online service which can be accessed below.

You may also want to read our guidance page for more information about other ways to find your NHS number or what to do if you cannot find yours.