How can we integrate neurodevelopmental assessment across education, health and social care? Amanda LeComber
This Lecture was part of our conference on Assessment and diagnosis in children with neurodevelopmental problems (October 2019).
Amanda has over 17 years experience as a qualified teacher. She was a class teacher in a large primary school in South London, before becoming the Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator. She then worked for Worcestershire Learning and Behaviour Support Team as an Outreach Behaviour Support Teacher. In 2007, Amanda moved to Kent and worked as a Specialist Teacher for the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service. She currently works in Hampshire on a school based Wellbeing and Mental Health project. Amanda has extensive experience of working in schools and supporting staff to identify needs and barriers to learning. She has a particular interest in ADHD, having been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Discussion
I feel that education and social care professionals should have direct access to the SDQ and DAWBA as pre-diagnostic screening/assessment tools which can provide quick guidance to inform decision making. I struggle to understand why they are not being used to overcome the bottlenecks in CAMHS.
This would mean that local authorities could take some of the responsibility and pressure off clinicians (especially for the less complex/acute cases) and allow CAMHS to dedicate more resources to those in greatest need.