The ARDS assessment
Assessments are held at the Mary Sheridan Centre, which has disabled access.
The assessment is performed by a multi-professional team, which includes:
- paediatricians
- specialist speech and language therapists
- clinical psychologists.
Any individual professional, or combination of professionals above, may perform the ARD assessment.
Before the assessment
Someone from ARDS will contact you to arrange an appointment.
They will also request information from your child’s school, CAMHS or other agencies involved in their care, but will only do this with your consent.
During the assessment
The ARD assessment requires at least two hours to complete, and includes:
- a detailed history of communication, social interaction and patterns of behaviours which will be taken from parents or carers
- an assessment of social interaction, communication, behaviours and play skills using a standard play-based observation.
The conclusions of the ARD assessment include:
A diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder
Children diagnosed with autism receive:
- a comprehensive ARD report
- an autism pack which provides information on Lambeth services
- access to any current local workshops and research provided by Guys and St Thomas’.
Need for further ARD assessments
On occasion, additional language, learning or school observation assessments are required as part of the ARD evaluation and are performed at another planned session.
No diagnosis of autism
Children not diagnosed with autism receive an ARD report with relevant advice as required, and are returned to the care of their referrer (GP, school, CAMHS or other) as indicated.
After the assessment
Families and carers are offered a single opt-in ARD review, after which, they are discharged from the ARD Service.
Complex cases which require higher specialist input are referred to other services only when indicated, following professional and parental consensus by the ARD team.