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NHS Trust supporting World Autism Awareness Week campaign

A patient talks to a clinician

Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (HRCH) is supporting this year’s World Autism Awareness Week - held between 2-8 April - by highlighting the range of training and diagnostics assessments that they offer in the borough of Hounslow. 

Specialists from the health trust’s Adult Autism Assessment and Diagnostic Service provide assessments for those with a possible diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and also provide training for healthcare professionals, employers and local residents in Hounslow.

Dr Mandeep Ranger, HRCH’s clinical psychologist from the community learning disability team, said:  “We’re backing the awareness campaign by highlighting our comprehensive diagnostic assessments for adults who may benefit from the clarification of a possible diagnosis of ASC.”

He said: “The service recognises the complexity of ASCs and assessment typically involves specialist interview and assessment tools with the individual and a comprehensive report detailing diagnostic outcome, individual’s strengths and difficulties, as well as recommendations for the future.”

Around 700,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. Autism is a lifelong disability and considered to be a spectrum condition which means that it will affect people in different ways and therefore they will need different levels of support.

The characteristics of autism vary from person to person but in order for a diagnosis they must be experiencing difficulties in social communication, social interaction, and have restricted or repetitive behaviour or interests.  People often have additional needs, including social anxiety, and sensory issues, such as over or under-sensitivity to sound, light, touch, taste and smell.

HRCH has an open referral system, meaning that anyone can refer themselves or be referred by someone else, provided the person being referred has given consent. 

Referrals are made by completing standard referral forms, which can be downloaded from www.hrch.nhs.uk/autism-assessment and submitted by post or email to hrch.autismhounslow@nhs.net. To discuss a potential referral, please call 0208 583 4410

The National Autism Society provides packs to help people with ideas to raise money and awareness for World Autism Awareness Week.