Your child/young person’s journey with us

Autism and ADHD: Your child/young person’s journey with us

Part of our role when representing children through their Cafcass guardian is to obtain the child’s wishes and feelings regarding the issues being determined by the court. We understand that in order to do this, communication is key and a neurodivergent child may struggle with typical forms of communication. Our team is highly competent at tailoring the way in which we communicate with a child in line with the child’s individual communication needs. Many children that we represent are non-verbal or pre-verbal and rely on means of communication other than speech. Our specialist team is conversant in visual means of communication, and is able to identify when it would be helpful to introduce tools, such as picture exchange communication system (PECS), emotions cards, now and next boards, and visual timetables.

We also understand that, for many children whether neurodivergent or neurotypical, it can be scary to meet a solicitor or Cafcass guardian for the first time. We know how important it is to prepare a child for such a visit in a way that is conducive to their individual needs, and we often use tools such as letters of introduction, photographs and social stories to help put the child at ease. 

Many of the neurodivergent children we represent have unfortunately ‘fallen through the cracks’ of the system and have not yet had their condition formally diagnosed, resulting in a lack of appropriate support being put in place for them and their families. Conversely, some children may have received a formal diagnosis but are still not receiving the support that they require. This inhibits the court and professionals from properly understanding a child’s global needs, directly impacting on their ability to appropriately plan for that child’s future care arrangements. We are competent in identifying when there is a need for specialist multidisciplinary assessment, paving the way to securing appropriate support and informed care planning.

Further Information:

• Family Law Solicitors Specialising in Autism and ADHD
• Your journey with us as a parent or carer
• Neurodiversity and Neurodivergent
• Common Problems and Reform
• Our Specialist Team