Adult Autism and ADHD engagement
We are reviewing the Adult Autism and ADHD diagnostic pathway, so that it can better meet the needs of those who use it.
Who does the service cover?
All adults from 18 years of age
- Takes account of transition from children and young people to adult services
- It covers the identification, assessment, diagnosis of autism/ADHD and a range of support offered on receiving diagnosis
- A multi-disciplinary agency approach to provision of post diagnostic support
Aim of the engagement
We have been working in partnership with adults with autism/ADHD and their families/carers on the development of a clear pathway. We have involved individuals and their families in all stages of the assessment and care planning process
The aim of the engagement is to:
- Work in partnership with adults with autism and ADHD and their families/carers and healthcare professionals to assess what works well and what could be improved
- Help inform the service specification and ensure that the service meets the needs of the local population
- Increase awareness and understanding of autism and ADHD among frontline professionals
- Develop a clear, consistent pathway for diagnosis in every area
- Improve access for adults with autism and ADHD to the services and support they need
- Enable local partners to plan and develop appropriate services for adults with autism and ADHD
Engagement methods
Several methods were used to ensure that we were able to reach as wide a section of our population as possible including online focus groups, telephone calls, surveys and attendance at forums. We raised awareness about the engagement through our networks – including the local authority, health partners, the voluntary sector, our stakeholder newsletter, primary care newsletter, a media release, social media and websites.
The online sessions were held via Zoom and ran for 1.5 hours. We offered a range of dates and times, to ensure that people could attend over a lunch break, in the afternoon or early evening. These took place on:
- 27 April 2021 at 12-2pm
- 28 April 2021 2-4pm,and
- 5 May 2021 5.30-7pm
In addition, we held phone conversations with patients who could not access online focus groups, and sent out patient and clinical survey to those who were having an assessment and to clinicians referring in. This feedback has helped to develop the service specification for procurement.
Feedback from the Adult ADHD and Autism focus groups
We asked for patient feedback to help reshape adult autism and ADHD services, through focus groups and an online survey.
We would like to share some of the feedback from the focus groups, below (the presentation to the focus groups is here):-
