The Autism Education Trust says that 'being autistic means your brain works differently from the brains of non-autistic people. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a 'cure'. Autism is a processing difference that can have an impact on many areas of a person’s life".
The National Autistic Society says that "autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world".
In Lambeth, we see autism as a difference in the way people process and understand their environment, as compared to non-autistic (or ‘allistic’) people. The Autistic Young Experts video explains more.
If you think your child or young person might be autistic, you can speak to:
- your GP or health visitor
- a nursery worker
- your school SENDCO
They can give you advice and support. They might refer your child or young person for specialist support or an assessment.
Diagnostic assessment
Autism is diagnosed by identifying differences in social interaction/communication, sensory processing and information processing/integration. Parent/carer observations are important in this process.
Children aged 0-18 years old will need an initial referral to the community paediatric team. They accept referrals from:
- GPs
- schools
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and other agencies, such as social care.
The community paediatric team may then refer the child or young person to the Lambeth Autism and Related Disorders Service (ARDS).
The ARDS assessment takes at least 2 hours to complete and includes:
- a detailed history of the child’s strengths and differences
- observation/assessment of the child or young person
Extra language, learning or school observation assessments might happen at another session.
After the assessment, families are offered a review, then discharged from ARDS. Complex cases are referred to other services only when indicated, following professional and parental consensus by the ARDS team.
The Lambeth Autism Advisory Service (LAAS) gives advice, support and training to schools and families to help meet the needs of autistic children and young people.
LAAS is committed to successful implementation of the Lambeth All Age Autism Strategy 2024-2027.