Social Development Clinic

Who do we work with?

The Social Development Clinic team work with children and young people who present with social interaction differences AND one or more of the following:

Early life difficulties e.g. trauma, attachment difficulties
Genetic conditions
Other neurodevelopmental conditions e.g. ADHD
Exposure to alcohol or other substances during pregnancy

The SDC works with children/young people and their families to see if the child/young person is autistic or if their social interaction differences are better explained by other factors.

Our team includes:

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
A Consultant Clinical Psychologist
A Clinical Psychologist
Speech and Language Therapists
An Occupational Therapist
A Specialist Nurse

Appointments

Before the family attends the SDC for assessment, we contact them to gather information by phone/ video call and in writing. We also contact the child or young person’s school.
Families attend for an assessment day at The Harrington Building

During the assessment day, the child or young person and their parents/ carers will work with various members of the team to complete assessments. Please see ‘Leaflet for Children and Young People’ below.

At the end of the assessment day, we provide feedback to the family and discuss whether another assessment appointment will be needed.
We may carry out an observation in school if necessary.
When the assessment is complete, the SDC produces a detailed multidisciplinary report for families and professionals.

Referral Criteria

Referrals must come from Child Mental Health or Paediatric Specialist within the North West (direct GP referrals are not accepted).
The child or young person has had a full primary CAMHS assessment in their locality.
Age 3-17 years.
Please see ‘Information for Referrers’ below for further details.
We are happy to discuss informal queries about potential referrals from professionals working with a young person.

Consultation Appointments

We are pleased to take referrals for second opinion or consultation with other professionals. The consultation appointment does not involve seeing the child or young person directly.