Recommendations for multi-disciplinary assessment and therapy

[Rainallnight]

Both my DC need an assessment for ASD and ADHD, and I’d obviously like it to be adoption-informed, and to be able to identify any other issues the DC have and support they might need.

Our social worker was going to refer us to Focus Mental Health but stopped because she’s got concerns about the quality of their reports. But she doesn’t seem verg knowledgeable about where else we could go.

I’d really welcome some informed recommendations. We’re in London but can travel (up to a point).

I know about the issues with the ASF and am resigned to self-funding.

The Maudsley is in London and has a good reputation.

Why do you need these assessments? Is it for school, for ehcs? If so, you might be better off with a speech and language assessment, or an OT assessment. If you want to try drugs for adhd then yes an adhd assessment by a psychiatrist. But an Ed psych could spot the likelihood of it.

I would recommend Family Futures. They would be able to undertake all the above mentioned assessments (and I would second the usefulness of a Speech and Langiage Assessment even if you don't think one is needed).

We have just started with Family Futures, we also wanted something very trauma informed and multi disciplinary. They’re more expensive than other providers though, so that’s something to think about depending on ASF. Another place we’ve had recommended by our adoption agency is Sensory Smart Families. Anna Freud Centre also has a good reputation and offer therapies to adoptive families.
What we have found is that assessments for ADHD and ASD aren’t done though through these more trauma informed services, so we are doing that alongside through nhs/right to choose.
Hope that helps a bit in starting to look at different options.

My girls are in their mid 20s now but years ago we used Family Futures for an Ed psych assessment as I wanted someone who understood early trauma. Actually he declared that our daughter had a moderate learning disability. He said he wasn't picking up attachment difficulties at all. So that was pretty clear. But the package we had bought also included a practitioner going to our daughter's school to observe her and then speak to staff and give us a resources pack.

And it was all about attachment. None of it mentioned the mld at all. And most of it was completely wrong advice for a child with a mld.

I was furious. Anyway, imo you havevto be careful wherever you go. They all have their beliefs and FF believe in attachment and early trauma, which is fine if those are your issues.

Later on my daughter was diagnosed with adhd by camhs, then a genetic deletion ( which explained a lot) by the genetics clinic, then back to camhs for an asd diagnosis.

I think you just have to explore everything, don't treat any assessment as the absolute truth, don't think any one professional has all the answers.