For further information please contact
Dr Caroline Clark,
Skylark Centre,
Ward L North,
Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Greenock
PA16 0XN
(01475) 505140
Useful addresses:
Scottish Autism
Head Office,
Hilton House,
Alloa Business Park,
Whins Road,
Alloa
FK10 3SA
(01259) 720044
www.scottishautism.org
National Autistic Society in Scotland
Central Chambers,
1st Floor, 109 Hope Street,
Glasgow
G2 6LL
(0141) 221 8090
www.nas.org.uk
Inverclyde N.A.S. Parent’s Support Group
Mrs Elaine Anderson
5 Wellyard Way,
Greenock,
PA16 0XG
(01475) 636382
www.nas-inverclyde.org.uk
April 2013
The Skylark Centre
Inverclyde
ASD CLINIC
Information for Parents and Families
What is ASD?
ASD stands for Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The autistic spectrum is used to describe a wide range of difficulties with social relationships, communication and imagination, and includes Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. It is a lifelong condition, which is more common in boys, and is thought to affect around 1% of the population in the UK.
Why is a diagnosis important?
A diagnosis is important as it means the correct information can be given to the people involved with a child (e.g. parents, teachers) to make sure they are aware of the child’s difficulties and know how best to help them.
Where is the clinic held?
The clinic is normally held in the Skylark Child Development Centre,
based within Ward L North in Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Occasionally, there are special circumstances when we can hold the clinic elsewhere
How will my child be diagnosed?
The Inverclyde ASD Diagnostic Team is made up of a small group of professionals with a special interest in ASD, including Paediatricians and Speech and Language Therapists.
A Psychologist with a special interest in ASD may also be involved.
One of the team will meet with you before the clinic to gather information about your child, to find out who else should be asked for information, and to let you know more about the assessment. A Speech and Language assessment will also be arranged.
At the clinic, you will meet the team who will discuss some of the issues with you in more detail before spending some time assessing your child through play situations and conversation. Each assessment is slightly different because each child is different, but there will be no unpleasant tests.
You will be at the clinic for the whole morning but at the end, we will let you know if we think your child has ASD or not, and our Specialist Social Worker will be available for support and information.
What happens next?
The clinic’s main purpose is to provide a formal assessment for ASD. It is important that the information about your child reaches the people who are providing their education and care to ensure that the correct supports are put in place.