• Post 5 Years Assessment Team

    Information about the referral process for the Post 5 Years Assessment Team, including who is in the team, what the assessment comprises and frequently asked questions.

About autism and ADHD

Common traits of autism and ADHD

Common Traits of Autism and ADHD

Neurodiversity explained


How do I refer?

You/your child can be referred to the Neurodevelopmental Service (NDS) by the school SENDCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). Information is needed from more than one environment (i.e. home and school).

If the young person is home-schooled or out of school, the GP can make the referral. Detailed information from parents and information from other professionals will need to be included as part of the referral.

Referral process

NDS Referral form

  • This can be completed by either a SENDCo or GP

Information from home

  • Parent Observation Questionnaire

Information from school

  • Teacher Observation Questionnaire

Information from a Specially Trained Professional

  • i.e. SENDCo, Educational Psychologist or Specialist Teacher

Information from young person

If the young person would like to include their own information, this will also be considered and is encouraged.

These are the things we look at when considering whether to accept a referral:

Autism

When we are considering if an assessment of possible autism is required, we are looking for further information within the following areas at home and school which cannot be explained by other needs:

  • Differences within social interaction and communication, such as differences in reciprocity, initiation, and response to interactions
  • Differences with relationships, including friendships
  • Differences in the use of non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, gestures, eye contact
  • Preference for routines
  • Focused interests
  • Repetitive behaviours, such as language or movements
  • Sensory differences

For more information about what autism can look like, click here.

ADHD

When we are considering if an assessment for possible attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is needed, we are looking for the following characteristics which cannot be explained by other needs:

  • Differences with attention, planning and organisation
  • Increased energy/movement levels (including racing thoughts)
  • Impulsivity (including decision making, risk taking or speech differences

There are 3 types of ADHD:

  • ADHD (combined type)
  • ADHD (inattentive type)
  • ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type)

For more information about what ADHD can look like, click here.

Questionnaires

Please complete the following questionnaires:

An NDS Self-Questionnaire can be completed by the young person if they wish to add additional information to support their referral. 

Once a referral has been accepted, a consent form will be sent home for someone with parental responsibility to sign.

Who has parental responsibility?

Mother: automatic

Father: if married to the mother either when baby is born or since

Unmarried father: if name appears on birth certificate (since 1/12/03) or legally acquired

Young person: if over the age of 16 years*

Others: if parental responsibility is legally acquired

Parental Responsibility Agreement: signed, properly witnessed and sent for registration to Principle Registry or the Family Division (High Court)

Residence Order: granted by the court

*Please note that young people under the age of 16 can give or refuse consent for assessment if considered competent to do so by clinicians with the Neurodevelopmental Service


What if I am nearly 18 years old?

The Neurodevelopmental Service sees children and young people under the age of 18 years. If you are aged 17 years 8 months or over and seeking an autism assessment, you can self-refer to the Autism Service Norfolk.

If you are aged 17 years 11 months or over and seeking an ADHD assessment, you will need to wait until your 18th birthday to go to your GP and seek a referral to Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust.


What happens?

As part of the assessment, members of the team will spend time with you/your child discussing early life and development. This may be a questionnaire, clinic appointment, a home visit or a video call.

Read more

We have clinics in the Children's Centre at Norwich Community Hospital (NCH), Thorpe Health Centre, West Pottergate Medical Practice, and St James Clinic in King's Lynn.


You can find more information about the clinics in which we carry out assessments, including travel and parking information, on our location and travel information page


Team members will spend time observing you/your child to learn about your/their strengths and needs. This may include assessments in clinic, at home or in school.


Appointments will be child friendly, and we will work as flexibly as possible around you and your family.


We will also request that questionnaires are filled in by parents and school and, when appropriate, by the young person themself as part of the assessment process. Help can be requested to fill in questionnaires by emailing nds@nchc.nhs.uk  


All observations are made in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and diagnostic discussions are based on these criteria. The decision is a team decision and is not made by one profession alone.


Every child will be discussed at a multi-professional panel meeting throughout their assessment and when a conclusion has been reached, you will be offered a feedback appointment with a member of the NDS team.


You will receive written information including NDS reports following the feedback meeting.


Who is in the team?

Assistant Practitioners

Adele Davison
Adele Davison, Assistant Practitioner
"I'm Adele, I like puzzles and walking."

Susan Plumb
Susan Plumb, Assistant Practitioner
"I'm Susan and I like to read books and play word games."

Nursing Team

Alesha Grace
Alesha Grace, NDS Nurse
"I'm Alesha, I love playing with my dog and crafting."

Ann Maclean
Ann Maclean, NDS Nurse
"I'm Ann and I like listening to music and baking (also eating them!)"

April Shepherdson
April Shepherdson, NDS Nurse
"I'm April and I like riding my bicycle and looking at nature."

Billie Dean
Billie Dean, NDS Nurse

Occupational Therapists

Dione Francis
Dione Francis, Occupational Therapist
"I'm Dione and I have two dogs and I enjoy taking them for walks on the beach.   I like history, nature and eating chocolate."

Natalie Albrow NO JOB TITLE
Natalie Albrow, Occupational Therapist
I'm Natalie and I like chocolate, playing games and camping.

Oonagh Jordan
Oonagh Jordan, Occupational Therapist
"I'm Oonagh, I like cats and swimming in the sea."

Psychology team

Lizzie MacDonald-Townsley
Dr Alicia Colbridge, Clinical Psychologist
 
Dr Andreas Michaelides
Dr Andreas Michaelides, Clinical Psychologist
I'm Andreas and I like spending time in nature, reading, and cooking for my friends and family

Dr Holly Castle
Dr Holly Castle, Clinical Psychologist
"I'm Holly and I like lots of things including cooking, being active and spending time outdoors with my family."

Lauren Davies
Dr Lauren Davies, Clinical Psychologist 
"I'm Lauren and I like being out in the sunshine and dancing like nobody is watching!"

Lisa Howell
Lisa Howell, Assistant Psychologist
"I'm Lisa and I like baking cakes and going to the theatre."

Speech & Language Therapists

Becky Whitby
Becky Whitby, Speech & Language Therapist
"I'm Rebecca/Becky, I love animals and travelling to new places."

Catherine Clancy
Catherine Campbell, Speech & Language Therapist
"I like walks by the sea and cooking with friends and family."

Heather Westley
Heather Westley, Speech & Language Therapist
"I'm Heather and I like dogs and walking in the woods."

Jo Chapman
Jo Chapman, Speech & Language Therapist
"I'm Jo and I love anything to do with musical theatre and Salsa dancing in my spare time!"

Kat Baxter
Kat Baxter, Speech & Language Therapist
 

Natalie Mackintosh
Natalie Mackintosh, Speech & Language Therapist
"I'm Natalie I like bright sunny days and shoe shopping."

Nicola Smith
Nicola Smith, Speech & Language Therapist
"I'm Nicola, I like being outdoors (if it's not raining) and exploring new places."

Administrative and support staff

Bobbi-Jane Holden
Bobbi-Jane Holden, Administration Assistant
My name is Bobbi, I like walking my dog and going to the gym. I absolutely love the beach and a good sunset.

Emma Mutton
Emma Mutton, Administration Assistant
I'm Emma, I love long country and beach walks and exploring new places and holidays, my 2 cats and a really good slice of cake and a cup of fresh coffee.

Lisa Hart
Lisa Hart, NDS Coordinator
"I'm Lisa, I like baking and sightseeing."

Frequently asked questions

How long will I have to wait for my child’s assessment?

For children over the age of 6 years, the overall assessment period could take four to five years.

For children under the age of 6 years, the overall assessment period could take around three years.

If you are not happy with the waiting time for your child’s assessment, you can use the NHS Choice Framework (‘Right to Choose’) to choose another healthcare provider to carry out the assessment.

Can my child access support while the assessment is taking place?

The Neurodevelopmental Service is an assessment-only team. Receiving a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder does not resolve any difficulties/differences that your child/young person may be experiencing and therefore alternative support needs to be explored regardless of whether a diagnosis is given.

Norfolk is working towards a needs-led culture rather than a diagnosis-led culture. Just being accepted for a neurodevelopmental assessment is sufficient to request reasonable adjustments within your education setting.

A list of examples reasonable adjustments an education setting might offer for a child awaiting a neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment

Please visit our useful resources page or the Just One Norfolk ND Digital Library for information about other services that can be accessed for support.

Does my child need a neurodevelopmental diagnosis before they can be considered for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)?

You do not need to have a formal diagnosis when applying for an EHCP. To apply for an EHCP, your child will need to have identified additional needs (please see the Norfolk SENDIASS website for more information).

A child can be on a waiting list or may not even be referred into the service before an application for an EHCP is made. Some young people start their assessment having already received an EHCP.

A diagnosis also does not necessarily mean that a young person will need an EHCP.

What happens if I move out of area before the assessment starts?

Please do let us know if you move out of Norfolk. If you move area before your child’s assessment has started you will be transferred to the team responsible for neurodevelopmental assessments in your new area. Some teams will honour the original referral date, but other teams will not.