This multi-disciplinary service provides specialist diagnostic autism assessment and a follow up of up to 3 sessions for people who:
- Have no significant learning disability
- Are aged 18 or over
- Have an Ealing GP and live within 1 mile of the Ealing borough border.
The team doesn’t provide long term management of mental health issues, and is only available for people who haven’t previously received an assessment for autism.
This service was established in 2019 better to support people to access assessment and support in the local area, avoiding the need for referral to out of area services.
The National Autistic Society describes autism as a “lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there’re around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK”.
Visit the National Autistic Society website
A diagnosis of autism is usually made in childhood.
Possible signs of autism include:
- Avoiding eye contact avoidance
- Preferring to be alone
- Struggling es with empathy
- Being affected by changes in routine
- Having highly restrictive interests
- Delayed speech development
- Repetition of words or phrases
- Repetitive behaviours
- Sensory sensitivity.
The team includes psychologists and occupational therapists with the necessary expertise to support diagnostic assessment and brief treatment or support.
We also offer training and advice to other health and social care services so that they can better meet the needs of individuals with autistic spectrum disorders.
We work closely with:
- The community team for people with learning disabilities
- Ealing Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
- Mental health services in Ealing and Ealing Council’s Independent Living Team
- Voluntary sector services such as Autism Support Signposting Information Services Team (ASSIST).
We take referrals from healthcare professionals viathe West London NHS Trust Single Point of Access.
Download referral form (Word).
If you would like to be referred, or care for someone you believe should be, please talk to your GP.
Referrals are triaged and may be recommended for initial assessment by mental health services to identify and address other mental health difficulties, including depression or anxiety.