Services To Support You & Your Family

FAQs

• How Long Will I Have to Wait For My Child's Assessment?

  For children under 5 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.

  Support while you wait

  Norfolk is working towards a needs-led approach, rather than one based solely on diagnosis. If you've been accepted for a neurodevelopmental assessment, that's enough to request reasonable adjustments in your education setting.

  For support while your child waits for assessment, view our useful resources.

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  For children over 5 years old, the overall assessment period could take 5 to 6 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.

• What if I Want a Private Provider to Carry Out My/My Child's Neurodevelopmental Assessment?

  We would ask that you let the Neurodevelopmental Service know that you/your child has received a diagnosis once the assessment has taken place so we can take you off our waiting list. There is no need to have an NHS assessment once you have had a private assessment, as a private diagnosis is recognised the same as an NHS one, provided it meets the same criteria.

  Find advice about choosing a private provider and the criteria to consider.

• What Age Can My Child be Assessed For ADHD?

  A diagnosis of ADHD can be considered in young children but would not usually be confirmed until a child is at least 6 years of age and is settled in school. This is because it is common for children to be highly active, especially at younger ages.

• Can My Child be Assessed For Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)?

  There have been lots of questions and discussion regarding Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). PDA does not appear as a separate diagnostic condition in nationally or internationally recognised diagnostic manuals such as DSM-5 or ICD-10. This has meant that children and young people have not received a separate "diagnosis" of PDA and in the past, it may have felt that PDA was not recognised or understood.

  Professionals in Norfolk recognise and understand that there are a group of autistic children and young people who present with a demand avoidant profile, and we understand this within the umbrella term of autism spectrum disorder. We may use language such as "autism spectrum disorder with a demand avoidant profile".

  We understand each individual child's unique way of seeing the world.

• Can My Child be Diagnosed With a Sensory Processing Disorder?

  Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Sensory differences are considered a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The Royal College of Occupational Therapy do not therefore, support the use of SPD as a diagnostic label.

  Within the Neurodevelopmental Service, assessment for sensory processing differences may be considered as part of a diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD or Autism) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• What if My Child is Too Anxious To be Assessed?

  All our assessments are child focused and adapted to individual needs. Just seeing your child in their own environment can often give us a lot of information which adds to our assessment.

  A diagnostic decision comprises many parts and is not just based on one assessment alone. If your child does not engage for one part of the assessment, we can still use information from other sources such as questionnaires and nursery/school observations.

  We can provide your child with support prior to the appointment if this would be helpful, for example by sending a photo of the clinician they are seeing or of the room they will be going into. We can also send a letter to your child to explain the tasks that they will be doing.

  Please contact us on 01553 668712 or by emailing nds@nchc.nhs.uk to talk through any worries that you have.

• Will I Get Written Reports Following My Child's Assessment?

  You will receive a written report regarding each assessment that the Neurodevelopmental Service has carried out at the end of your child's assessment regarding the diagnostic decision.

  The reason we send reports together at the end of the process is that each report is a small part of the bigger picture. It is only when all reports are viewed that the whole picture can be seen, and a final diagnostic decision can be reached.

• Can My Child's Assessment be Sped Up?

  The criteria for an assessment with the Neurodevelopmental Service to be expedited are:

  • Looked After Children (this is a child or young person that might be looked after with their parents' consent or by a court order. They might live with foster carers, in a children's home, with family members or connected people (such as friends or neighbours) or sometimes even with their birth parents.
  • If the assessment process has started with an NHS Trust in a different area, including military families, you will be added to the waiting list with your original referral date.

  Unfortunately, we are not able to speed up assessments for any other children.

• 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.

  

  Visit our useful resources page or explore the Just One Norfolk ND Library for more 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. Visit Norfolk SENDIASS 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 if My Child is Offered an Appointment in School Time?

  If your appointment with the team is within school hours, you should speak to your child's headteacher so they can authorise your child or young person's absence. Norfolk County Council recommend that you try to minimise disruption to your child or young person's school day if possible. Norfolk County Council provide further information about absences from school for medical appointments.

• 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.

• If My Child's Referral is Not Accepted, How Do I Re-refer?

  If your child's referral is not accepted at triage, you will receive a letter explaining the reason. This may be because the referral does not meet the service's criteria, or there may not have been enough information provided to make a decision.

  If you wish to proceed with a re-referral, the first step is to carefully review the referral criteria for the service. Make sure all relevant supporting information is gathered - this might include school reports, assessments, or medical history.

  Once everything is ready, speak with your GP, school, or paediatrician about submitting a new referral with the updated and complete information.

  Questionnaires and additional supporting documents will be returned if they are not submitted alongside an updated referral form from the GP or referrer.

• Can SENDCos Refer To the NDS Directly?

  Yes, SENDCos can refer directly to the NDS without going to the GP. SENDCos can complete an NDS referral form and should ensure the POQ/TOQ are completed. Any additional information (such as Educational Psychology reports) will need to be submitted along with the referral.