AU4DM Health Network Clear, kind guidance on autism and developmental medicine

AU4DM Health Network

Clear, kind guidance on autism and developmental medicine

Latest Articles

The Week Before Collection: A Calm Supply Map for ADHD Medication Uncertainty
Medication Support

The Week Before Collection: A Calm Supply Map for ADHD Medication Uncertainty

ADHD medication shortages are easier to manage when the planning starts before collection day. This is a practical UK guide to checking prescriptions early, talking to the pharmacy and GP, and keeping routines steady when supply feels uncertain.

A Blood Test Is a Whole Event: Building a Needle Plan That Starts Before the Clinic
Family Guides

A Blood Test Is a Whole Event: Building a Needle Plan That Starts Before the Clinic

A blood test is rarely just about the needle. For autistic and developmentally anxious children, the whole clinic event needs a plan. This guide walks UK families through preparation, plain-language scripts, reasonable adjustments and what to record if a rebook is needed.

After the Signature: Turning a Paediatric Discharge Into a Workable Handover
Family Guides

After the Signature: Turning a Paediatric Discharge Into a Workable Handover

A discharge letter can feel like a door closing, especially when your child’s needs have not gone anywhere. This guide walks UK families through what discharge usually means, how to ask for a written summary of ongoing needs, and what routes exist if concerns return.

When the Diary Says ‘Review in Six Months’: Keeping Developmental Concerns on the Table
Family Guides

When the Diary Says ‘Review in Six Months’: Keeping Developmental Concerns on the Table

A ‘watch and wait’ plan can feel like being parked at the side of the road. Here’s how to make the months between appointments active, organised and easier to explain — without turning family life into a milestone test.

Before the ADHD Review: A One-Page Record That Keeps the Conversation About the Child
Medication Support

Before the ADHD Review: A One-Page Record That Keeps the Conversation About the Child

Medication checks work best when they feel like a shared review, not a test. A simple one-page record can help families bring the everyday picture — benefits, side effects, sleep, appetite and school — into the room.

When ‘Just Help Your Brother’ Becomes a Job Description: Sibling Roles in Neurodivergent Households
Professional Practice

When ‘Just Help Your Brother’ Becomes a Job Description: Sibling Roles in Neurodivergent Households

Siblings often drift into unpaid interpreter, co-regulator and advocate roles one small request at a time. This is a practical, non-sentimental look at role creep, boundaries, scripts and the UK support that exists for young carers and siblings.

The Referral Route With Rules: Making Sense of Right to Choose for Autism and ADHD Assessments
Family Guides

The Referral Route With Rules: Making Sense of Right to Choose for Autism and ADHD Assessments

Right to Choose is a legitimate NHS referral route in England, not a magic door. Here’s how to check what your GP practice can do, ask clearly, spot misleading provider claims, and keep the process calm when the answer is no.

Consent Is a Skill We Teach, Not a Switch We Flip: Talking About Puberty With Autistic Young People
Professional Practice

Consent Is a Skill We Teach, Not a Switch We Flip: Talking About Puberty With Autistic Young People

Autistic young people reach puberty at the same age as everyone else, but the support around it often arrives late, thin or not at all. A practical look at sensory-friendly period care, pain that gets dismissed as behaviour, and how to teach consent as a skill rather than assume it.

The Dental Chair Is Not the Starting Line: A Sensory Plan That Begins Weeks Before the Appointment
Family Guides

The Dental Chair Is Not the Starting Line: A Sensory Plan That Begins Weeks Before the Appointment

NHS dental appointments ask a lot of a child who finds smell, light and touch difficult — and a lot of the work can happen before anyone sits in the chair. Here's a realistic, week-by-week plan for families, plus a checklist practices can borrow.

A Softer December: The Low-Demand Holiday Plan That Still Holds Together
Family Guides

A Softer December: The Low-Demand Holiday Plan That Still Holds Together

December does not have to be a choice between a perfect timetable and a free-for-all. This is a low-demand plan for UK families who want rest, a few reliable anchors and a way to explain it all to relatives without starting a project.

Before the File Moves: A Handover Guide for Families Nearing Adult Neurodevelopmental Services
Professional Practice

Before the File Moves: A Handover Guide for Families Nearing Adult Neurodevelopmental Services

When a young person approaches 18, the paperwork does not wait for the birthday candles. This practitioner-facing guide sets out a calm, realistic handover plan for children's neurodevelopmental services, with a family checklist you can share.

Two Children, One Child: When Home and School Describe Different Kids
Professional Practice

Two Children, One Child: When Home and School Describe Different Kids

Teachers say he copes beautifully; you describe nightly meltdowns. Neither account is wrong. This piece looks at why a child's presentation can split so sharply between settings, and how to gather evidence that holds both stories together for GPs, paediatricians and SEND meetings.

Family Guides

After the Report Lands: Mapping the First Three Months of a New Diagnosis

The appointment is often short, the report arrives weeks later, and ordinary life carries on regardless. A calm, practical map of the first ninety days after an autism or developmental diagnosis — what to read, who to tell, what to ask school, and which paperwork is actually worth your energy.

The Sheet That Speaks for You: Preparing a One-Page Child Profile Before a GP or Paediatric Appointment
Family Guides

The Sheet That Speaks for You: Preparing a One-Page Child Profile Before a GP or Paediatric Appointment

Appointments are short, waiting lists are long, and the things we most need to say often vanish the moment we sit down. Here is a calm, practical way to put your child's strengths, sensory needs and key concerns onto a single sheet of paper, with a printable template and wording for when the conversation starts to wobble.

The Waiting Room Is Part of the Appointment: A Realistic Checklist for Calmer UK Clinics
Professional Practice

The Waiting Room Is Part of the Appointment: A Realistic Checklist for Calmer UK Clinics

We spend a great deal of energy getting autistic and developmentally different children into appointments, then ask them to cope with environments that were designed for nobody in particular. This is a practical, opinionated checklist for teams who want to make small, affordable changes — with an honest look at the constraints we all work inside.