The Adult Neurodevelopmental Service (ANDS) has reached a significant milestone with the launch of Phase 2, expanding access to autism diagnostic assessments for adults across Lanarkshire through new referral pathways from Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) and Psychological Therapy Teams (PTTs).
This new referral pathway will be an addition to the existing pathway from GP services. GP Referral Form
Established in April 2024, ANDS provides specialist diagnostic assessments for adults presenting with lifelong autistic characteristics that substantially impact their quality of life and daily functioning. The service focuses primarily on diagnosis and post-diagnostic recommendations rather than ongoing interventions.
Dr Sarah Cameron, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, said: “Autism assessment requests have increased by up to 1000% in recent years.
“These new structured referral pathways represent a crucial step toward meeting national objectives of improving access to autism assessments for adults in NHS Lanarkshire.”
To ensure appropriate referrals, patients must:
- Be 18+ and registered with a Lanarkshire GP
- Demonstrate evidence of lifelong autistic characteristics affecting daily functioning
- Be under the care of CMHT or PTT colleagues
- Display autistic characteristics that may influence their current care plan formulation or delivery
Referrers should complete a case review and submit Referral form CMHT PTT to the dedicated email address.
The service excludes individuals with existing autism diagnosis, those with learning disabilities (who follow a separate pathway), and patients currently under inpatient mental health care.
All referrals undergo review by the ANDS multidisciplinary team during weekly clinical meetings and are allocated to one of two pathways:
- Autism Diagnostic Pathway: For individuals clearly meeting diagnostic assessment criteria
- Consultation Clinic: A monthly forum for complex cases requiring additional discussion and specialist advice
The Consultation Clinic facilitates collaboration between CMHT/PTT colleagues and ANDS specialists, enhancing community teams’ knowledge and skills in supporting autistic individuals while determining suitability for formal diagnostic assessment.
Pam Brown, Operational Clinical Manager, explained: “This new structured approach represents a vital step toward addressing growing demands for autism diagnostic assessments.
“Partnering ANDS with community mental health services is vital in the next stage of service development due to the high prevalence of autistic people requiring to seek mental health support.”
