Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Overview

There is a Specialist Autism Diagnostic Assessment Service in Sirona that provides assessments for children and young people with the highest level of need associated with possible autism.

Referrals for Specialist Autism Diagnostic Assessments require supporting information from the family and educational setting and are best made by people that know a child well. In most cases this is not the GP.

Families can be encouraged to prepare referrals in partnership with the child’s SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) or self-refer. GPs are on the permitted referrer list and may opt to be the primary referrer if a child is not in education, or if the GP has valuable additional information to contribute to a referral.

It is important that families have realistic expectations of what the service offers:

• Most community services are provided according to need and not diagnosis. A child does not need a diagnosis to have additional funding in education or to apply for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• The waiting lists for an assessment are very long even for children with high levels of need. Families and professionals should not wait for the assessment before putting into place interventions and strategies to support a child.
• Some parents may choose to seek a private assessment. We advocate that educational settings support needs identified in private assessments appropriately
• The service does not provide support for a child’s needs whilst they are waiting for assessment or once they have a diagnosis.

It may be useful for Children and young people with autism related needs to find out more about neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is not a diagnosis and recognising neurodiversity in an individual does not therefore need a diagnostic assessment. Neurodiversity is a term that recognises people experience and respond to the world around them in different ways. This different perspective can lead to new ideas, scientific breakthroughs and creativity or unique skillsets. Individuals may also have aspects of life they find more challenging for which they require additional support at school and different approaches to parenting and behaviour management. See the Sirona website for more details: Advice and signposting – Sirona care & health NHS services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

Who to refer

The Specialist Autism Assessment Service accepts referrals for children & young people (Age 2 years 4 months up to the age of 17 years 6 months*), registered with a GP in Bristol, North Somerset, or South Gloucestershire, who are experiencing very significant difficulties associated with suspected Autism as outlined in the Referral Criteria.

*When a young person reaches the age of 17 years 6 months, they will be transferred onto the waiting list for the adult service (the date of referral to children and young people autism services will be honoured).

Referral to Sirona

Referrals can be made by the following: 

• School SENCOs
• Social workers
• Family self-referral
• Health professionals - (GPs do not normally need to be involved in referrals but can refer if a child is not in education or if the GP has valuable additional information to contribute to a referral). 

In situations where there is mixed neurodiversity and ADHD is the primary concern it may be more appropriate to refer to Community Paediatrics. The initial assessment in community paediatrics would count towards an autism assessment.

If you believe a child may have autism or ADHD, or they are waiting for an assessment, please share this leaflet with the family and encourage them to engage with the support services available to them. Please see the Sirona advice and signposting page for more details: https://sirona-cic.org.uk/children-services/resources/advice-and-signposting/

Please see the Sirona web page for further details and the referral process: Making a referral – Sirona care & health NHS services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

The essential referral forms can be viewed here: https://www.sirona-cic.org.uk/nhsservices/childrens-services/making-a-referral/#essentialforms these are also available on EMIS.

To speak to our ASD Coordinators, email sirona.asdcchpcoordinators@nhs.net  or phone: 0300 125 6206

Clinical Partners Referrals

Clinical Partners are commissioned to provide Autism services for CYP/adults in BNSSG, from 1^st December 2024.  Age range for the CYP service is 5 years up to 17 years 9 months. They have delivered services under Right to Choose in BNSSG for some time. Referrals can be made via https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/nhs-services/right-to-choose or GP referral form to rtc@clinical-partners.co.uk.   

Jan 2025: Clinical Partners can currently only take referrals from GPs 

Right to choose referrals

Right to Choose (Feb 2025)

For patients wishing to choose a “Right to Choose” provider it is important they understand that the provider may not integrate with local BNSSG pathways and/or other services as the provider does not hold a contract directly with BNSSG ICB. It is advisable for the GP and patient to agree the most suitable provider as the referral must be “clinically appropriate” for the patient under choice framework.

Patients will only be eligible for NHS treatment if referred by their GP (they may also offer private services for Autism and a range of other psychiatric conditions).

Right to Choose providers known to BNSSG ICB, to date, that have a contract with another ICB in England and therefore, can offer Children & Young People Autism services under Right to Choose (patient choice) are:

• Autism 360
• Evolve Psychology
• Oakdale Therapies
• Paloma Health (Your Patient Choice Ltd)
• Provide Wellbeing Ltd
• Psicon
• RTN Mental Health Solutions T/A RTN Diagnostics

The attached spreadsheet summarises the current services offered by RTC providers, including referral information and exclusions. See the relevant tab at the bottom of the page for ADHD/ASD Adults/Children.

Post diagnostic support - where a provider has indicated availability of post diagnostic support, referrers/patients should contact them directly to check what this includes before making a decision on this basis. Some post diagnostic support offers for ADHD and Autism may be limited to signposting to other organisations; so patient expectation around this should be managed at the outset.

The list of Right to Choose providers above is not exhaustive. If a patient requests referral to a provider that is not listed then please email the mental health contracts team on bnssg.mh.contract@nhs.net who can check that the appropriate Right to Choose contract is in place.

Healios

Healios is an organisation that is currently contracted by Sirona to carry out ADHD / ASD assessments to help them clear their backlog. GPs and school nurses cannot refer directly as they do not have a Right to Choose contract. Referrals need to go to the Sirona services who in turn may, or may not, send them on to Healios, or they can go directly to a RTC provider as described above.

Resources

Self Help Resources for parents (and older children)

Advice and signposting – Sirona care & health NHS services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

Neurodiversity, autism and ADHD information for parents

Bristol Autism Support 

https://www.bristolautismsupport.org/  

Bristol Autism Support (BAS) is a registered charity providing information, support and training for parents and carers of autistic children in BS postcodes. We believe the need for our support is self-defining. Parents and carers do not need a diagnosis for their child in order to access our services.   

Resources

Autistic Spectrum Support Group (North Somerset)

Autistic Spectrum Support Group meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Wednesday in the month.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.