ADHD and ASD assessments for Children (under 18)
As of 15th May 2024, the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Pathway has changed in response to long waiting lists and an acknowledgement that most support in children and young people is needs-led, rather than diagnosis dependant.
The new approach involves Neurodiverse Profiling, which takes about 45-90 minutes to complete by a trained professional in partnership with parents/carers, and young person (if appropriate). This is no longer completed by a GP.
To arrange Neurodiverse profiling, families should:
- Speak to their school or healthcare professional trained in the profiling tool.
- Alternatively, they can email cft.ndcornwall@nhs.net to identify someone who can help if the child/young person is not currently under a healthcare or school professional trained in the profiling tool.
Parents/carers, and young people (if appropriate), can access the Parent Carers Cornwall website: Neurodiversity Hub, which has lots of information (including videos) to empower them as well as their child or young person to learn about and understand their needs, and develop strategies to help them.
Referrals via ‘Right To Choose’ and ‘Shared Care Agreements’
Patients can express their Right To Choose RTC to have an ADHD or ASD assessment with an alternative provider.
Patients can also arrange their own private assessment and self-fund this appointment.
Some specialists may suggest Shared Care Agreements for treatments. We suggest patients carefully read Penryn Surgery’s stance on Shared Care Agreements with NHS and Private Organisations before deciding which route they would like to take.
