Services that support autistic children and young people

We are a team of specialist advisory teachers and an advisory occupational therapist working within educational settings in Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. This includes nursery, primary, secondary schools and colleges. We also provide input for private, voluntary and independent nurseries. 

The team supports autistic children and young people by providing advice and support for schools and parents, enabling them to meet the needs of autistic children and young people. We also support children and young people who are currently on the social communication pathway. 

What do our Autism Advisors do? 

We ensure that we follow neurodiversity-affirming approaches. This includes using identity-first language and recognising neurodiversity as a natural part of human variation.  

Our team supports educational settings to enhance their autism knowledge and provision enabling them to meet the needs of autistic children and young people, embedding this within an inclusive environment.  

Our team can offer bespoke work with autistic students (with or without an EHCP) following the referral criteria below. 

Our team draws heavily from the SCERTS approach and uses appreciative inquiry, coaching, and strength-based approaches to promote positive outcomes and meaningful engagement for autistic children and young people.  

Our team has adapted the Thrive Model - an integrated, person centred and needs based approach to delivering support for autistic children and young people, as well as schools and settings. The Thrive Model is a co-created a plan of support, based on developing strengths and supporting areas of need. 

Training 

The team offer a variety of autism focused training sessions for settings and parents/carers. This is updated on a termly basis.

Our training calendars are available on our Local Offer

To book a training session, please use the relevant link:

• For Staff: Services to Schools Website  
• For Parents/Carers: Bi-borough Inclusion Service 

As a school-based service, we are unable to support/work with families in the home environment. However, we do offer training for parents/carers on a variety of topics. 

Referral Process

Following a consultation with staff and parents, a referral can be made to the Autism Advisory Team. This will be triaged and next steps communicated to the referrer by the link advisor. 

We accept referrals from settings and the SEN team.  

You can make referral queries by emailing the Bi-borough Autism Team: [email protected] 

Children and Young People's Occupational Therapy (CYPOT) works collaboratively with children, their families and school communities to enable children with a range of needs, including autism, to achieve their potential within their occupations at school, home, and the wider community.

Many autistic children and young people experience sensory processing needs. Occupational therapists can assess these needs and suggest strategies that can help in everyday activities. 

Where there are needs, occupational therapists may also assist with motor coordination and daily living skills. 

For more information on what the local CYPOT team offer please click here. 

What is an Educational Psychologist?

Educational and Child Psychologists have expertise in education, learning, child development and the application of psychology to improve the learning and well-being/mental health of children and young people up to the age of 25 years.

They apply the highest-quality psychology to make a positive difference to children and young people’s lives. Using a wide range of skills, expertise and specialist knowledge they support schools to ensure that children facing difficulties can learn and develop, helping to improve their educational outcomes.

Where do Educational Psychologists Work?

Every state-maintained nursery, and primary and secondary schools has a named link Bi-borough Educational Psychologist (EP).

The Educational Psychology Consultation Service has strong and positive relationships with schools and with other council and partner agencies, children’s and adults' social care and health. The advice and support the service is able to offer is therefore very well integrated into the broader systems of support for vulnerable children and young people and those with SEN and their families.

How do Educational Psychologists Work?

Time is usually paid for by schools, who buy in visits from the service every year. Educational psychologists work with teachers and parents, and children & young people themselves, where there are concerns about learning, progress and/or wellbeing. Together, they use consultation to find ways of making changes that mean things work better.

Sometimes educational psychologists also work with a school to think about their environment and provision. This might involve staff training.

A school will always ask your permission before involved an educational psychologist. When an educational psychologist has been involved, they will typically observe children in their normal learning environment and sometimes meet with children. This might be to gain their views; it might also be to carry out an assessment that helps everyone reach a better understanding of what might help them to learn.

Not all autistic children will be known to an educational psychologist - lots of schools will be able to support children using their existing skills and resources.

Educational psychologists also have a statutory role. All children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or where a request is made and agreed, will be known to an educational psychologist. A statutory assessment will involve the same things as above but is funded by the local authority not the school.

VIG – sometimes educational psychologists might be involved with children and families through specific interventions such as Video Interaction Guidance.

We actively encourage the involvement of parents, carers, teachers, learning support assistants (LSAs), children and young people in a collaborative problem-solving approach. As such, we understand that those who know a child or young person best are usually those who can provide ongoing support at home and in school. Much of our work supporting autistic children and young people involves working in collaboration with teachers and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) in school to explore specific needs, assess and prioritise areas where additional support is required, develop ideas for strategies and intervention approaches, and remain involved in monitoring and reviewing the success of these approaches over time. This often involves an ongoing consultation role through a process of plan-do-reflect-and review cycles with schools.

Child development services work to identify, assess, investigate and support children and young people (0-18) with-long term neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodisabilities, including those who are autistic.

The core team at child development centres consists of paediatricians, clinical psychologists, clinical nurse specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, music therapists and speech and language therapists. This multi-disciplinary approach ensures that a wide-ranging level of support can be provided to children and young people who are referred. 

It is typical for a child development service to be at the core of an assessment for autism spectrum disorder and to offer ongoing healthcare support. 

In addition to their primary neurological condition, many children and young people involved in this service also have complex medical conditions e.g. gastro-oesophageal reflux, seizures, or constipation.

Child Development Services in Kensington and Chelsea

Cheyne Child Development Service

The Speech and Language Therapy Service helps children and young people (0-19) who have speech, language or communications needs (SLCN). As autistic children and young people frequenly experience some degree of SLCN, it is common for the Speech and Language Therapy Service to be involved in their care. Sometimes this support will be offered before a child or young person receives an autism diagnosis. 

For more information on the local Speech and Language Therapy Service please click here. 

Autistic Children and young people are more likely to suffer with mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) offers evidence-based therapies to support any child or young person who experiences these difficulties. 

For more information on the Kensington & Chelsea CAMHS Service please click here. 

The new Bi-Borough Children with Disabilities (CWD) Family Help Service, brings together the Disabled Children’s Teams in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster with the Bi-Borough Short Breaks Service to form one service. This is a new multi-disciplinary service including Family Help Practitioners, Social Workers, systemic clinicians, occupational therapist and our CWD respite centres. Find out more here.  

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) has launched a new digital tool to help parents, carers and families find support for children and young people that have been diagnosed with autism, or who may be waiting for a formal diagnosis.

You can access the Autism Roadmap online at the new dedicated webpage: www.cnwl.nhs.uk/news/year-of-the-child/year-child/autism-roadmap

Autistic people may require support with things like communication, interaction with others, using their imagination, being flexible and feeling overwhelmed by activity in the world around them.

Autism is different for everyone, but this roadmap offers advice and guidance about some of the challenges autistic people may face and how our services can help. Topics include behaviour, communication and language, sensory, eating habits, toileting, sleep, mental health and more.

Find out more about the Autism Roadmap here.

Education, schools and learning