Advice and resources How to make a referral for autism or ADHD

How to make a referral

This information is for children and young people who may have autism and/or ADHD.

A referral will need to be made jointly by the family and by the child’s nursery or school. You will need to complete the online referral form and also the relevant Additional Information Form.

Steps to making a referral:

  1. Read the guidance on this webpage
  2. Check the relevant support has been in place for six months and that a support plan has been completed
  3. Download the relevant Additional Information Form below, and complete this jointly with your child’s educational setting
  4. Complete the online referral form (this will prompt you to upload the support plan and the Additional Information Form)
  5. Email any additional documents to CYPADHDandAutismTriage@berkshire.nhs.uk.

 

What if my child is not yet in nursery or school, or is educated somewhere other than at school?

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: 01189 046 620 

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

My child has an ADHD diagnosis and is taking medication. How do I refer to you?

You will need to complete the online referral form and the relevant Additional Information Form. The online referral form will prompt you to attach a copy of your child’s support plan. Please attach a copy of their ADHD assessment report instead.

Supporting the child or young person straight away

The most important thing is to put support in place straight away, this can happen without diagnosis, assessment, or referral.  Your child does not need a diagnosis of autism or ADHD to access support at home or at school. Support should be provided based on your child’s needs.

If a child or young person requires support, it is very likely they will still require support, whether or not they receive a formal diagnosis. Having the right support in place as early as possible is more important and more meaningful that being added to a long waiting list for assessment.

Support Plan

Support plans are individualised documents that outline what a child or young person needs are, and how these needs are being supported at nursery/school or at home. A support plan is a written document which explains the help and adjustments they need to be successful, safe, and included in education.  

As part of the referral we ask that you provide evidence that a support plan has been in place for six months (or two school terms). The support plan needs to include the following information: 

  • Clear dates showing when the support plan was implemented and when it was reviewed
  • Individual targets that are specific to potential neurodivergent needs
  • Distinction between individual and whole class provision
  • Review of individual targets which includes what specific strategies have been put in place, and information about whether this has been helpful for the child or not
  • Support plans can also include strategies that parents or carers have put in place at home

We are unable to accept support plans which only provide information such as risk assessments, lists of goals, difficulties, support sessions attended, general school provisions, or lists of referrals, without clearly describing the support being provided and its impact.

If the family and educational setting still feel like an assessment for autism or ADHD would be helpful after a support plan has been in place for six months (or two school terms), then please complete the referral form and the relevant Additional Information Form. 

Why does my child need a support plan before we can make a referral?

We do not want to add children to a long waiting list for assessment without knowing that they have support in place. A support plan is more likely to help with making meaningful changes to the child or young person’s day-to-day life, than a diagnosis alone is.

What happens next?

Once your referral has been received, we will review this to help make a decision about whether an autism and/or ADHD assessment is indicated at this time. As soon as the review is complete we will contact you to ket you know the outcome. Please be aware that this can take a while, we thank you for your understanding and patience.

If you have any problems completing the referral, please email  CYPADHDandAutismTriage@berkshire.nhs.uk