Autism Services (ASD) - Southern Trust

Children’s Diagnostic Service (Pre-school and Primary School age)

If you have concerns about your child’s development, social skills, communication or behaviour, please speak to your GP, Health Visitor or other health professional in the first instance. They can refer your child to Community Paediatrics for developmental and medical assessment, and possible onward referral for autism assessment if appropriate.  

Autism Services will support your family through the assessment and diagnostic process.  Young People’s Diagnostic Service (Secondary School age – 18 years)  If you have concerns about your child’s mood, behaviour and interactions with others, please speak to your GP or other health professional. A referral can be made to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for assessment, including assessment for autism if deemed appropriate.

Autism Intervention for Children & Young People Following a diagnosis of ASD, staff will meet with the child/young person’s parents/carers to discuss the diagnosis and draw up an intervention plan, tailored to their particular needs. This will include an invitation to autism training and information sessions, onward referrals to other professionals or agencies as appropriate, and individualised autism-specific support. Longer term support is also available as the child/young person gets older – intervention and support will be flexible and vary accordingly.

Adults’ Diagnostic Service Following the publication of the DHSSPS Autism Care Pathway for Adults, the Trust is developing a diagnostic service for adults. Further information will be available on the Trust’s web-site and on Autism Services’ new web-site as the service develops.

Adults’ Intervention Service:  Some adults with autism are already involved with Mental Health Services or Learning Disability Services. Additional guidance and support is available to these professionals through Autism Services if required, to help them ensure their input is autism-sensitive. Support is also available to those adults without a mental health or learning disability diagnosis through Autism Services

For further information contact:  autism.services@southerntrust.hscni.net

Autism Services also offer interactive booklets with autism information and resources for parents and carers, aiming to enhance their understanding of autism and provide support strategies for children and young people. (See below) :-

Autism Services Information Booklet (at PageTiger.com)

Autism Service Assessment Information Booklet (at PageTiger.com)