Referrals for children with developmental needs in Enfield can be made by GPs, therapists, special educational needs coordinators (SENCo), and health visitors.
The assessment process can take up to 10 months, depending on the type of assessment needed. For general paediatric assessments, appointments are likely to be within 6 months.
Referral criteria for children under 6
For referrals of children under 6 years old, they must live in Enfield and have had an assessment by their health visitor. Their developmental problem must require assessment in at least 2 of the following:
- Communication
- Feeding
- Behavioural
- Motor
- Vision
- Learning
- Hearing
- Developmental delay
Or one of the following:
- isolated significant motor difficulty
- a newborn born at less than 26 weeks
- a newborn with existing or a high likelihood of developing neurodevelopmental problems
Referral criteria for children 6 and over
For referrals of children 6 years old and above, they must live in Enfield, attend a special school, and have complex needs where input from 2 therapies is needed. They must also have significant motor problems with suspected neurological cause and be referred via a paediatric physiotherapist, GP or paediatrician.
We can do a neurological assessment of children with oromotor difficulties if requested by a speech and language therapist. We can also follow up with children who have severe brain injuries.
Requests for individual therapies such as physiotherapy should be sent to those departments directly.