Autism Assessment Team - Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale (HMR) Community

The Autism Assessment Team are a diagnostic team for children under the age of 5 years and they see children who have social communication difficulties that require an autism assessment. They see children who live within Heywood Middleton Rochdale.

Before being referred for an autism assessment, your child should have been seen by the Community Paediatric Service to consider any other reason for your child’s differences / presentation. If you are referred for an autism assessment, you will be sent an appointment via post. We may contact your child’s educational setting (Nursery/School) to obtain information regarding your child’s development/social communication skills prior to the autism assessment.

You can find out more about what to expect in an autism assessment here: What happens during an autism assessment
 

Your assessment will take place at:  Croft Shifa Health Centre, Belfield Road, Rochdale 

If you are worried about your child's development, please speak to your Health Visitor or GP to discuss your concerns.

Family Hubs

Family Hubs provide a range of support services for families with children aged 0-19 or 0-25 for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. They provide a single access point to integrated family support services for early help with social, emotional, physical and financial needs. Each family hub is bespoke to its local community while incorporating three key delivery principles: access, connection and relationships. You can find your local family hub via this link: Our Rochdale | Family hubs

Neurodiversity Hub

The Neurodiversity Hub is a multi-agency team set up to support children and young people who are neurodivergent or who have social communication differences. The aim of the Neurodiversity Hub is to support families and professionals to work together to ensure that the child or young persons needs are met. They are a needs-led model to ensure children/young people receive additional support whether they have a diagnosis or not. You can find out more details about this service via their facebook page www.facebook.com/hmrneurodiversityhub – or by emailing hmr-ndhub@nca.nhs.uk and asking for further information.

Parent Support

Home-Start helps families with young children deal with whatever life throws at them. Supporting parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children. Home- Start’s ethos is that happy parents create happier children.
Here is a link to their facebook page which has the most up to date drop in dates and details about their group sessions: Home Start Rochdale Facebook Page

Rochdale Local Offer

This website helps children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and their families find the information and support they are looking for, from across Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale areas: Our Rochdale | Welcome to the Rochdale Local Offer

RANS TASC Helpline

Rochdale Additional Needs Service Team for Autism and Social Communication have a telephone helpline on a Wednesday afternoon between 1 – 4pm – 01706 926400. A member of the TASC team will be available to answer any questions you may have relating to autism and social communication. The helpline is open to schools and parents / carers.

Rochdale Speech and Language Toolkit

Rochdale’s Speech, Language, and Communication Pathway is a tool for parents and practitioners providing a range of services and strategies available to children pre-birth to 5 years old. Access the toolkit via this link: Our Rochdale | Rochdale Speech, Language and Communication Toolkit

Sleep

The Together Trust offer sleep support and advice to children and families across Rochdale. You can access the Together Trust via this link: Sleep Tight Rochdale | Together Trust

You can also access sleep support and advice via the following links:
The Sleep Council - www.sleepcouncil.org.uk

Cerebra - www.cerebra.org.uk Tel: 0800 3281159

National Sleep Foundation www.sleepfoundation.org

Sensory

Sensory processing is making sense of information received through senses such as touch, sound or smell. Some children may have difficulties with this, and be distracted by sound, the way things feel etc. They may overly seek (e.g. moving, bumping, crashing, jumping, touching) or excessively avoid sensory information.

Here is a link to the Occupational Therapy Sensory Workshop which talks through our senses, sensory needs and sensory strategies
Online Sessions: Children and Sensory Processing Difficulties - What to do about it?

Face to Face Sessions: Children & Sensory Processing Difficulties - What to do about it? Face to Face

SENDIASS

Rochdale Special Educational Needs & Disability Information, Advice & Support Service (SENDIASS) offer free, impartial and confidential information and advice. They are open from 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday and they aim to return calls within two working days. For more information you can contact them by email rochdale.sendiass@barnardos.org.uk , by phone on 01706 769634. Our Rochdale | Rochdale SENDiass

Toileting

Here are some useful links regarding toilet training children with additional needs:
ERIC - Potty training children with additional needs
Toilet training for children with additional needs & disabilities - Bladder and Bowel UK

Here is a link to a guide on toilet training children who may be autistic: Toileting - a guide for parents and carers - National Autistic Society

Umbrella Sessions

The Umbrella Sessions provide information and support for parents and carers of children and young people with Neurodiversity.
The sessions they offer are:

• Neurodiversity and all about it 
• ADHD, Medication and Alternatives
• Sensory Challenges and Strategies
• Neurodiversity – How to Flourish in school
• Sleep and Wellbeing

You can book onto theses sessions via this link: are available to book onto via this link: The Umbrella Sessions | Eventbrite

What is Autism?

Here is a link to “ Amazing Things Happen”- a video from the National Autistic Society that explains the Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis in a very accessible format- for families/siblings etc. https://youtu.be/Ezv85LMFx2E?si=TSx05IN2Lj3c5N5l