Supportive Child Psychology

Recent data from the NHS has revealed that as of December 2022, the number of people waiting for an autism assessment has increased by 40%, reaching a staggering 140,000 people. In Hertfordshire and surrounding counties, children may wait for one to three years for an autism assessment and even longer to receive the right support in school, missing out on support for most of their education.

To address the growing wait lists and lack of support for children with special educational needs, Your Way Psychology and Education has recently started supporting children and families in Tring, Berkhamsted, and surrounding villages by providing private autism assessments and support services. Their approach mirrors that of NHS services but with a wait list of a few weeks and not years.

Autism may present itself through difficulties with friendships, communication, adjusting behaviour to suit various social contexts, and picking up on social cues; and restricted or repetitive behaviours like repeating certain words, sounds, and movements, having specific routines or rituals, an unusually deep fascination in a topic or object at the exclusion of other things, and being under or over-sensitive to sounds, lights, texture, and smells.

Receiving an autism diagnosis is just the first step in getting the right support in school. However, navigating the world of special educational needs can be challenging. Your Way Psychology and Education help parents work with schools and find a way forward for their child to receive the necessary support.

Visit www.yourwaypsychology.co.uk to find out more.