Initial Assessment for Children over 12 Years of age
Your initial assessment with one of our team is the first opportunity for us to meet you and your child.
The appointment often starts with a quite general chat with everyone together.
We will want to talk with you about your concerns and also to take a detailed developmental history. We will ask about your family, about pregnancy and your child’s early development. We appreciate that you may not want your child to be part of this conversation, if that is the case bringing an additional adult to the clinic is helpful so that your child can undertake some distracting activities with the additional adult. We do however request that you do not bring phones or technology on the day.
If your child is happy to speak with the professional that is undertaking the initial assessment, we would like to speak with them too, ideally on their own and this will include a mental health screening. We will of course ensure that you and your child are comfortable with this.
The initial appointment usually lasts for between one and two hours. At the end of the appointment, we will make a plan about the next steps of the assessment.
You will receive a summary letter within two - three weeks of this appointment.
