ADHD and autism service contact form

Children may be waiting longer for an ADHD assessment than an autism assessment, due to the additional capacity required in the service to manage the treatment of ADHD following diagnosis.  

If your child has been referred for both an ADHD and autism assessment, they may be seen at different times in accordance with when they reach the top of the waiting list for each assessment. 

As of April 2025, the approximate assessment waiting times for children referred into our service are as follows: 

• Pre-school autism – 3 years 
• School age autism – 7 years 
• ADHD – in excess of 8 years

We understand that waiting for an assessment can be deeply frustrating and distressing for families. Our current waiting times for Autism and ADHD assessments range from three to in excess of eight years, with those being referred in most recently waiting the longest. Please be assured that we see and hear your concerns, and we are sincerely sorry for the impact this delay may have on your child and family.

We are actively working to reduce the waiting time for assessment. We’ve expanded our team, enhanced our service capacity, and are collaborating with local partners, including the Sheffield Parent Carer Forum to provide support for families both before and after assessment has taken place. These efforts have enabled us to support more children than ever before, but we know there is more to do. We remain committed to advocating for increased resources to improve waiting times and deliver timely care.

Please note that we do not offer routine follow-up care for children diagnosed with autism. 

For ADHD, if your child is already known to us, there is no need to take further action and we will contact you as your next appointment approaches. 

We are sorry if your child’s follow-up has been delayed. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to provide individual waiting times for follow-up.  

We are working hard to ensure children get the care they need as quickly as possible. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding as our teams work hard to support every child and family. 

While waiting for a follow-up appointment, there are resources and services available to support you and your child. 

Sheffield Children’s: Our website provides additional information and links to other support services across Sheffield. There are a range of resources available. Links are provided below: 

• ADHD 
• Autism 

Sheffield City Council’s Local Offer: Explore resources and services tailored to children with additional needs. Visit Local Offer | Sheffield. You may find the Parent Hub particularly useful who deliver a range of seminars, discussion groups, and evidence-based programmes Parent Hub Events | Sheffield. 

Sheffield Parent Carer Forum: Contact the Peer Support Service which offers information, support, and signposting. Reach out via phone at 0300 321 4721 (select option 1) or email peersupport@sheffieldparentcarerforum.org.uk. You can also visit Peer Support Service | Sheffield Parent Carer Forum

Individual circumstances can influence when children are seen. We appreciate it may feel frustrating if you feel another child has been seen quicker than yours, however we advise families to not compare the experiences of others and can assure you that we have a process in place to monitor this.

You have the legal “Right to Choose” your healthcare provider. If you feel the waiting time is too long to be seen at Sheffield Children’s, you may opt to seek an alternative provider for assessments and treatment (where appropriate). Other providers may have shorter waiting lists. More information about your options is available here at the South Yorkshire ICB website. 

Please be aware that Sheffield Children’s does not manage “Right to Choose”. The responsibility for this sits with the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. You would need to talk to your child’s GP if you wish to progress with “Right to Choose” as they are required to make the referral. 

We are unfortunately unable to recommend any providers or advise you whether Right to Choose or a private assessment would be the best course of action for your child. 

Please note that children requiring ADHD medication following a private or “Right to Choose” diagnosis cannot be seen any sooner than those waiting for a diagnosis within our service. Children would be offered an appointment to discuss medication once they reach the top of the waiting list. Sheffield Children's can currently honour a waiting list position for those children who had already been referred for an ADHD assessment at our service. 

The Sheffield Parent Carer Forum (SPCF) issued some information on “Right to Choose” in their autumn newsletter: SPCF-Newsletter-Autumn-2024-email.pdf so you may wish to contact the SPCF to discuss further. 

While waiting for an assessment, there are resources and services available to support you and your child. Many of these services do not require a formal diagnosis. 

Sheffield Children’s: Our website provides additional information and links to other support services across Sheffield. There are a range of resources available. Links are provided below: 

• ADHD 
• Autism 

Sheffield City Council’s Local Offer: Explore resources and services tailored to children with additional needs. Visit Local Offer | Sheffield. You may find the Parent Hub particularly useful who deliver a range of seminars, discussion groups, and evidence-based programmes Parent Hub Events | Sheffield. 

Sheffield Parent Carer Forum: Contact the Peer Support Service which offers information, support, and signposting. Reach out via phone at 0300 321 4721 (select option 1) or email peersupport@sheffieldparentcarerforum.org.uk. You can also visit Peer Support Service | Sheffield Parent Carer Forum 

If you are concerned about your child’s immediate safety, either call 999 or please visit your local Emergency Department. 

Please note: choosing the right Emergency Department  

The Sheffield Children’s Emergency Department can only offer treatment to children under the age of 16.  

If 16 years or older, you will need to visit your local adult Emergency Department. In Sheffield that would be the Northern General Hospital. 

Other options of support

• Discuss your concerns with your child’s GP. 

• Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) have a range of resources available on our website which may be useful Resource Library – Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust (sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk). 

• The Sheffield Mental Health Guide allows you to search for local support available Local support for when you're feeling low | Sheffield Mental Health Guide. 

• If you are unsure which services to access, contact the Sheffield Parent Carer Forum on 0300 321 4721, select option 1, or email at peersupport@sheffieldparentcarerforum.org.uk who will be able to support you. 

Due to the large numbers of children waiting, we can only consider requests for children to be seen sooner from professionals.

There are also strict criteria that must be met. If you are finding things increasingly difficult with your child, we would advise accessing the resources and support available in the first instance.

You can discuss your concerns with your GP who may be able to suggest additional support options and consider whether a request to expedite is appropriate.

Our service cares for children and young people who are under 16 for autism and under 18 for ADHD.

We are working closely with our colleagues at the Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service (SAANS) to transition young people who have been referred for an assessment and exceed these ages to the adult service. We will send you a letter to inform you of the transfer. SAANS questionnaires will be enclosed with the letter. These should be completed promptly and returned to them directly.

Once the referral has been reviewed, if an assessment is required, please be assured that your young person will not join the end of the waiting list and instead will join the waiting list at the length of wait they have been waiting for at Sheffield Children’s. SAANS waiting times are currently shorter than at Sheffield Children’s and therefore most young people will be seen sooner as a result. 

Our administrative team work directly with Sheffield City Council and other partners to supply information they need when creating an EHCP. A request must be sent by the organisation who is creating the EHCP before we are able to share this information. 

Please access more information on Education, Health and Care plans via What are Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans? | Sheffield Directory  

Please access information on Disability Living Allowance claims for children via Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children GOV.UK 

Our administrative team work directly with the DLA service to supply information they need when processing a DLA claim. A formal request must be sent via the DLA service before we are able to share this information. 

If you would like to raise a concern regarding the service that you have received whilst on this pathway, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team who will try to resolve. You can find out more information about PALS via PALS - Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. They can also offer advice on the formal complaints procedure and support you through this process. 

Please be aware that both the PALS and Complaints Teams are unable to provide any additional information to what is already available within the FAQs. They will be unable to influence any different course of action for your child, for example, bringing an appointment forward.

We are aware that some children and young people may wish to be removed from the waiting list for several reasons, for example, their presentation has changed, or they have been seen elsewhere etc. If you would like your child to be removed from the waiting list, please indicate this below.  

Please note that we do not offer routine follow-up care for children diagnosed with autism, and those requiring ADHD medication following a private or “Right to Choose” diagnosis cannot be seen any sooner than those waiting for a diagnosis within our service.  

Children would be offered an appointment to discuss medication once they reach the top of the waiting list. Sheffield Children's can currently honour a waiting list position for those children who had already been referred for an ADHD assessment at our service. 

Please ask your GP to refer your child to our service if they have received a diagnosis of autism and ADHD elsewhere and you wish them to receive follow-up care from us (for example, ADHD medication). 

If you are already known to our service, we need to take some details from you in order to add this to your child’s record. Please complete the following form.