Waiting for an assessment

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Community Paediatrics and Neurodisability Service
Being referred for a neurodisability assessment
Waiting for an assessment

Autism and ADHD referrals

Being referred for a neurodisability assessment

Completing questionnaires
Review of the questionnaires and confirming an assessment
Waiting for an appointment for your child’s assessment

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Being on the waiting list for an assessment

Once we have confirmed which assessment your child needs, you may be on the waiting list for quite a while.

During this time, we will contact you every 6 months to check you still need the assessment, or if you want your child to be taken off the waiting list.

Some possible reasons for not needing an assessment include:

if a child has an assessment elsewhere
if a child moves house to a location where Sheffield Children’s is not the local provider
some families decide an assessment is not needed anymore

If you want to tell us that you don’t need an assessment anymore and want to come off the waiting list, please complete this form.

Getting an appointment

We will send you an appointment when you are at the top of the waiting list.

We may send you a second set of questionnaires to complete before your child’s assessment.

If your child is having an autism assessment, you can find out more about how this will work on our autism assessments page.

For primary school children having an ADHD assessment

Before the assessment appointment, one of our Neurodisability specialists will visit your child’s school to observe them and speak with their teaching staff. We would not usually inform you or your child of this visit.

For secondary school children having an ADHD assessment

Your child will usually be asked to come to an appointment at Ryegate to complete a Qb test (Quantitative Behavioural test), which is a computer-based test to support the assessment. They might have a school observation instead. Find out more about Qb tests on our ADHD assessments page.

Waiting list update and support while you wait

Sheffield Children’s receives more than 5,000 referrals each year, which means that many families wait for an appointment for a number of 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 two to eight years or more, 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.

Find out more about the Neurodiversity Programme on the Local Offer website: Sheffield’s Neurodiversity Programme | Sheffield

Support while you wait

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 City Council’s Local Offer: Explore resources and services tailored to children with additional needs. Visit Local Offer | Sheffield Directory .
Sheffield Parent Carer Forum: Provide a 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.

Your Right to Choose

You also 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 assessment and treatment (where appropriate). Other providers may have shorter waiting lists. More information about your options is available here: Your Choices in the NHS and at the South Yorkshire ICB website.

If you choose an alternative provider, please let us know so we can update our records.

Moving forward together

If your child is already on our waiting list, there is no need to take further action—we will contact you as your appointment approaches. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding as our teams work hard to support every child and family.

We will continue to provide updates on our progress and share news about service improvements on this website page. Should you have any specific questions, please contact us via this online form and we will respond as soon as we can.

Thank you for trusting us to support your child’s journey. We are here to help and remain committed to providing a healthier future for every child in our care.

Questions about waiting for an assessment

We have submitted an expedite request, has it been reviewed yet?

We receive lots of expedite requests, unfortunately very few of these can be accepted. They will be reviewed by our team and we will aim to get back in touch with you about the outcome as soon as possible.

Find more information on expedite requests on our ADHD and autism waiting time support page.

What happens when my child turns 16 years old whilst on the waiting list?

Our service cares for children and young people who are under 16 for autism and under 18 for ADHD. We automatically transfer cases to the Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service (SAANS) when they reach the relevant age, and we will send a letter to you to confirm when this is done. Adult waiting times are currently shorter than at Sheffield Children’s and therefore most young people will be seen sooner as a result.

Where is my child on the waiting list, when will their assessment be?

As of October 2026, the approximate assessment waiting times for children referred into our service are as follows: