YOUnited Neurodevelopmental Help for Families

Neurodevelopmental Resources for Families

Neurodiversity is a common term often used in the context of autism and ADHD.

Neurodiversity refers to the natural differences in the way our brains work. Some people refer to themselves as neurodiverse. However, more commonly the term neurodiversity is used to refer to everyone, including the full range of brain differences. A group of people is made up of both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals.

Neurotypical is often used to describe people who think, behave and learn in what is seen to be a 'standard' way.

Some people’s brains simply work in a different way. Therefore they will have unique skills, abilities, and needs. They may experience and interact with the world around them in different ways. There is no right or wrong way of thinking, learning and behaving.

Someone who is neurodivergent behaves, thinks and learns differently to those who are neurotypical.

Neurodivergent children may have one or more of the following neurodevelopmental conditions:

Children who are neurodivergent may experience higher levels of mental health issues like anxiety, but this is often as a result of a lack of support or the stress of ‘masking’ where children try to ‘fit in’ to avoid a negative reaction.

Diagnosing neurodivergence is highly specialised and can be difficult as symptoms of the different conditions like autism and ADHD often overlap.

In an ideal world, access to services and support should be based on your child's needs rather than needing a formal diagnosis.

Waiting lists for assessments are very long across the country, but you don’t need to wait for a diagnosis to start helping your child. If you think they might need further support at school you should contact your child’s teacher and/SENCO or your GP.

You do not need a diagnosis to apply for an EHCP and organisations like SENDIASS offer free, independent advice in Cambridgeshire - Cambridgeshire Online | SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

We know that waiting for an assessment or diagnosis can be a really worrying time, but it’s important to know you can access support while you are waiting. We have put together the following resources which we would encourage you to explore, either before deciding on whether to progress an neurodevelopmental referral or whilst you are waiting to be contacted by the relevant clinical team once a referral has been accepted.

Neurodevelopmental pathways for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire

UPDATE FOR CAMBRIDGESHIRE For ADHD referrals only - If a parenting course has not already been accessed, parents are being asked to register for a course via the local authority site: Register your interest for a parenting course. There is no expectation that this course is completed prior to the referral being submitted but there is an expectation that parents will register as part of the process.

Completion of a developmental history form is required for both pathways. Parents can download this form here

Online Resources

Autism Understood ( AU ) is a website about autism, for autistic young people.

The website was created by Spectrum Gaming, a registered charity. Spectrum Gaming is a community for autistic young people which has three main intended outcomes:

1. Building friendships: AU want to create a community where autistic young people feel comfortable and can make strong friendships in a safe way. Their main provision is their online community, that anyone from across the UK can access.
2. Increasing Self-Acceptance: They want to make sure as many autistic people as possible are able to accept their differences and live the happiest lives they can.
3. Advocacy: They aim to create a movement that will have a positive influence on society through advocacy, and enable strategic change to ensure the needs of autistic young people are met across the UK.

Ormiston Families Stronger Together is for families who have children with additional needs or disabilities and is free of charge.
Early years settings such as childminders, pre-schools, nurseries and primary schools can also register to support the children in their care with additional needs or disabilities.
Stronger Together operates within Fenland (Cambridgeshire).

All of Cambridgeshire

PinPoint Supporting your Neurodiverse Child Booklet

Pinpoint Cambridgeshire is not only run for parents, but also by parents.

They give help and information to parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND
(Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and/or additional needs, as well as give parent carers
opportunities to have a say and get involved in improving local services.

No formal diagnosis is required in order to access support from Pinpoint, for example,
a child may be on a waiting list, accessing services, had a referral turned down, or just be struggling.

PinPoint's official launch brand-new ‘Supporting your Neurodiverse Child’ digital booklet.

Pinpoint is grateful to have worked with their champions, parent/carers, professionals and partners across
health, education and social care to produce the ‘Supporting Your Neurodiverse Child’ digital booklet.
The booklet is packed full of useful information for families wherever they are on their journey with neurodiversity.

SENDIASS

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service.

It’s a free, impartial, and confidential service offering information to young people with special educational
needs and disabilities (SEND) and to their parents and carers.

Spectrum is passionate about the work they do with families and carers of children with Autism, additional needs and disabilities. They provide that support in many ways. Their charity provides ongoing support for children from birth to 18 years of age- families do not need an ‘official’ diagnosis to access their resources; they just need to be registered with them. The membership is free.

This resource is for schools and other education settings. The purpose of this is to define for Early Years settings, Schools, and Further Education providers in Cambridgeshire what provision should be (ordinarily) available for children and young people with SEND.

Ordinarily, available provision can be defined as the provision made for children whose special educational needs can be met from the resources generally available to the school or setting. This will apply to all children without an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), but children with an EHCP will also benefit from this type of provision in addition to the provision written in their plan.

Cambridge Only

Aspire delivers youth clubs and support, in and around Cambridge, for autistic children and young people. Their clubs reduce social isolation and improve the lives and mental well-being of those who attend.

Pinpoint Cambridgeshire is not only run for parents, but also by parents.

They give help and information to parent carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and/or additional needs, as well as give parent carers opportunities to have a say and get involved in improving local services.

No formal diagnosis is required in order to access support from Pinpoint, for example, a child may be on a waiting list, accessing services, had a referral turned down, or just be struggling.

We are paediatricians working in the Cambridgeshire community. We can help your family to best understand your child's medical needs. Together we can reach a conclusion that best describes your child's challenges and strengths to enable your family as well as health, education and social care services to best understand and support your child's needs. We are only able to see children in a clinic setting who meet our referral criteria.

Peterborough

Little Miracles provide a non-judgemental environment where they use their holistic approach to support the needs of the whole family.

They specialise in providing advice, guidance, support, activities, training and safe places to any family that has a child with an additional need, disability or life-limiting condition.

This includes providing support before they are diagnosed and from birth to 25.

Family Voice are a local registered charity who are actively seeking to improve services in all areas of the lives of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs. They are here for Parents and Carers of children and young people aged 0—25 years with a disability or additional needs.

They aim to work together with professionals and parents so that the services for their children and young people meet their needs. Putting parent carers and their children at the centre and helping them to be heard.

Herefordshire (Royston)

Angels supports families of autistic children and/or children who have ADHD (and those awaiting diagnosis). All Angels staff are parents of neurodivergent children.

Online

(Sensory support)

This page has a series of online learning sessions that have been specifically created to support families learn about sensory differences. Please take your time to watch through each session.