Contact details for these services can be found here.
Two Health Boards serve the Local Authority area of South Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire NHS Trust serves the geographical areas of East Kilbride, Hamilton, Blantyre and Clydesdale. Yorkhill NHS Trust serves the geographical areas of Cambuslang and Rutherglen. This affects the Community Assessment Teams, the Speech and Language Therapy service and the Occupational Therapy service. To contact these services you will need to contact the service within your NHS Trust area.
Lanarkshire Autism Diagnostic Service
Originally set up in 2000, the team was expanded in 2005 to create a pan-Lanarkshire service.
The team is staffed by highly qualified Community Paediatricians and Speech and Language Therapists who have over 15 years experience in assessing and diagnosing children with autistic difficulties.
Referrals are considered from Community Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and the Child & Family Team across Lanarkshire. Therefore, you should approach one of these professionals to access the service.
Why is my child being seen by this team?
The team sees children where there is a possibility of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Children’s development can be complex, so often professionals ask the team to see children to clarify a diagnosis.
What is the Community Autism Team?
The team consists of a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Paediatrician. The team collaborates with other professionals as required, for example Educational Psychologists, teachers, occupational therapists. The team sees children from across the above areas of South Lanarkshire and is part of Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust.
How will my child be assessed?
Members of the team will meet the child’s parents to discuss their concerns and find out more about the child from their point of view. Reports may be requested from professionals who know the child, for example Speech and Language Therapists, Teachers, Paediatricians, Psychologists. The child will then be assessed both in Nursery/ School and at home.
What happens in the assessment?
Depending on the child’s age and abilities, the assessments will involve play and/ or conversation plus observation of their social interaction with peers. Two members of the team will be present, playing, interacting or observing the child. The specialists will look at the child’s communication, interaction, imagination and flexibility. These are the core areas of difficulty in Autistic Spectrum disorders. The team does not carry our blood or urine tests, scans or other medical investigations.
What happens after the assessment?
Shortly after the assessment, members of the team will meet with parents to discuss their findings. Parents have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss implications. The team prepares a report summarising their observations and conclusions. The report is sent to parents and the child’s GP and is usually also sent to the professionals working with the child. Parents and professionals are invited to contact he team to discuss any aspects of the report, if required. In most cases the team’s involvement with the child stops at his point as ongoing management will be taken up by local services.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Speech and Language therapists have an important role to play in assessment and intervention for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Often the child’s language delay or limited communications are initial causes for concern. Therapists assess and evaluate children’s language levels and communicative ability. Different strategies to develop language and communication are often suggested. Visual material to support children’s communication may be useful for some children as an aid to understanding language and a channel for expressing themselves. Although some assessment may be carried out with your child in a clinic, treatment in a clinic setting is not usually ideal. You may be offered a Hanen ‘More Than Words’ course.
The communication difficulties of a child with autism centre around social communication and interaction which is best taught in the child’s natural environment through people who are in everyday contact with them. When a child with an autistic spectrum disorder enters nursery or school the therapist will assist education staff to understand the child’s language and communication difficulties and to promote better communication where possible. Social communication groups may be helpful for older more able children with autistics spectrum disorders.
There are three Speech and Language Therapy teams from Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust who cover the areas of East Kilbride, Clydesdale and Hamilton / Blantyre / Larkhall. For those living in the Cambuslang and Rutherglen areas the Speech and Language Therapy Teams come from Yorkhill NHS Trust.
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