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Assessment
Physical Health & Co-occurring Conditions
Attention & Activity
Sleep
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Education & Training
Employment
Rights & Entitlements
Assessment
The list below shows you what services are available depending on where you are in your assessment journey. Whether you suspect you/your child may be Autistic, you are awaiting a formal diagnostic assessment, or you may recently have had such an assessment, there is a service to help.
NHS Greater Manchester Mental Health – The Health and Wellbeing College
runs a diagnosis service for autism in Trafford. Two drop-ins per month are run by our Autism Support Coordinator, Jane Forrest, at the Life Centre Café and Serindipitea café in Sale, as well as the I-Am-Autism building in Stretford. Anyone can attend, including people who self-identify as autistic and do not have a diagnosis. For more information contact Jane at jane.forrest1@nhs.net.
You can find out about assessment for autism in Trafford via the Trafford Directory.
Pre-assessment
Any information or activity offered to parents as a pre-assessment service.
Assessment
The diagnostic services
Post-diagnosis
Services / groups/ activities offered after diagnosis.
In Trafford, there is a 14 week post diagnostic programme for newly-diagnosed adults, led by practitioners and autism peer mentors, facilitated by NHS Greater Manchester Mental Health and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. All autism peer mentors are paid and have completed training.
Physical Health & Co-occuring Conditions
Autistic children/adults may also develop a few co-occurring health issues. These may be physical or mental health conditions.
Autistic people who have additional learning disabilities may be eligible for support from the Trafford Adult Community Learning disability Team.
People with physical health conditions may benefit from completing a health passport for health practitioners to see. Help with this is available from our Autism Support Coordinator at Trafford Adult Community Learning Disability Team.
Trafford CAMHS (formerly Healthy Young Minds Trafford) - Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (mft.nhs.uk)
GM resources on physical health
Attention & Activity
Autistic children may also have co-occurring conditions that affect attention and activity. Services below may be able to support you with these.
- Engage Trafford – Salford Foundation
- Adult ADHD assessment – Trafford Extended Service
- Trafford Directory | *Sport Works and Gorse Hill Studios Inclusive Saturday Challenge – Short Breaks
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Some autistic adolescents may experience co-occurring mental health conditions. The information below lists support available where you live in relation to mental health and well-being support.
You can see a range of help and support on mental health matters via the Trafford Directory.
Specialist counselling from Respect For All can be provided if other approaches are not successful. Referrals for specialist counselling and therapy can by made by GPs.
Health & wellbeing can also be supported by organisations such as Trafford Blue Sci.
General Advice on Mental Health:
Advice on Mental health
Sleep
Sleep difficulties are very common for autistic adults. Not only can this have a massive impact on the autistic adult, but it can impact parents, carers and other family members.
- Trafford Directory | * Trafford Sleep Services
- Sleep | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk)
GM resources on sleep
Education & Training
- Pure Innovations Supported Internship at Manchester College
- United Response Supported Employment Service
- GM resources on education
Employment
Some autistic people need support to access employment. Below are some services that may be available locally.
- Pure Innovations Supported Internship at Manchester College
- United Response Supported Employment Service
GM resources on employment
Rights & Entitlement
Listed below are some support services available for autistic people who need support with understanding their rights and entitlement.
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust employs a full time Autism Support Coordinator for Trafford, based in the Adult Community Learning Disability Team. This is a dedicated post to support autistic people and families, as well as practitioners and commissioners, and to raise awareness of autism in Trafford. Need link or contact details for this – SENDCode
Trafford Adult Community Learning Disability Team – Multi disciplinary health and social care team working with autistic adults who have additional learning disabilities.
Trafford Adult Social Care provide assessments under the Care Act for any autistic adult requesting one.
Trafford Welfare Rights can support people with welfare rights and benefit queries.