Who this service is for
This service is for children with autism (and related social and communication difficulties) and their families. As a rule we treat whole families, but we also offer individual help to family members where it is needed.
Often families come to us when they have gone through a detailed assessment and have been given advice and practical support, but still feel anxious and isolated about the difficulties their child is experiencing.
Our service treats whole families first, but we also offer individual help to family members where it is needed.
Why refer to this service?
We understand that the assessment and diagnosis of autism is traumatic for families. We recognise that each child with a diagnosis of autism is different: we don't believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Above all we think it is important to listen properly to each member of the family, the child themselves, carers and siblings.
We would be 'open minded' about a child who has not yet received a diagnosis and we would expect to see a range of different emotional and behavioural problems, that may or may not be related to their diagnosis.
Our treatments are based on detailed assessments, and we will always try to provide the service we feel would be most helpful to the child and family. As well as working with the child and family we may also work with schools and local networks.
What we offer
A central aspect of our approach is understanding the impact of autism on family functioning. Through extended assessment we aim to develop an understanding of the emotional experience of the child and the impact of the child’s autism, autistic features or communication difficulties on the family.
This usually involves meetings with the family in order to understand the child’s strengths, difficulties and overall developmental profile. We aim to enable parents to feel more effective in their parenting and to explore how the child understands the world.
We offer a range of assessments and treatments tailored to individual children and families’ needs. We can offer diagnostic assessments if needed. Our staff have considerable experience in working with families who have been affected by autism. We believe that making a detailed assessment of each families' particular needs is key to delivering the most appropriate treatment.
How to refer
We encourage referrals from professionals including psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists, paediatricians and GPs (although we do welcome enquiries from other agencies). If you are interested in making a referral please contact our team administrator on 020 8938 2241.
When considering a referral, all professionals are welcome to call our administrator to arrange a time to speak with a clinician.
For reasons of confidentiality, we cannot accept referral forms by email. When you fax or post your referral form to us it will be allocated to one of the team’s clinicians.
