Neurodiversity support

Different neurotypes

It is very common for neurodivergent people to have more than one neurotype. This is often referred to as co-occuring conditions or comorbidities.

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

  ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is also known as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. It's a neurodevelopmental disorder that can cause:

  • a poor attention span (inattentiveness) 
  • lots of energy and being extremely active (hyperactivity)
  • acting without thinking (impulsivity)

  ADHD can look slightly different in girls than it does in boys. 

  Symptoms of ADHD can be spotted at an early age. They often become more noticeable when children start school. It's not usually possible to diagnose children under 6 years old with ADHD. 

  Read more about ADHD.

• Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD)

  Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) can also be known as ASD. It's a neurodevelopmental disorder. This can look like:

  • difficulties understanding social signals and social cues
  • difficulties communicating and interacting with other people
  • difficulties understanding how other people think or feel
  • bright lights or loud noises to be uncomfortable, stressful or overwhelming
  • meltdowns or exhaustion after social events like school
  • anxiety and stress at sudden changes to routine or unfamiliar situations
  • taking longer to understand information
  • doing or thinking the same things over and over

  Autism is a spectrum condition, this means that it can affect people in different ways and to different degrees. Your child's autism may be different to another child. Autism can look different in girls than it does in boys.

  Read more about autism.

• DLD (Developmental Language Disorder)

  DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) can also be known as specific language impairment. It's a long-term language difficulty. People with DLD can struggle to say what they’re thinking and understand what people are saying to them.

  Read more about DLD (Developmental Language Disorder).

• Dyscalculia

  Dyscalculia is also known as 'number dyslexia' or 'math dyslexia'. It's a learning difficulty where maths and understanding numbers is very difficult. Dyscalculia does not affect intelligence. 

  Dyscalculia can look like:

  • losing track when counting
  • counting on their fingers long after their classmates have stopped
  • struggling to read an analog clock
  • poor basic understanding of numbers or 'number sense'
  • panicking at the thought of doing maths homework (anxiety or anxiety related to maths)
  • struggling to remember phone numbers and postcodes
  • struggling with addition, subtraction, division and multiplication (arithmetic)
  • difficulties with mental maths and problem solving

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  Getting help

  If you think your child may have dyscalculia, speak to your child's teacher or their school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) about your concerns.

  If your child continues to have problems despite the extra help, your or the school may want to request an in-depth assessment. The assessment can be completed by a specialist in assessing specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or a educational psychologist.

  The assessment can be arranged through the school or you can request a private assessment. Assessments for dyscalculia are not available through the NHS.

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  Need more information?

  Dyscalculia - British Dyslexia Association.

• Dysgraphia

  Dysgraphia is a also known as 'a impairment in written expression'. It's a rare neurological disorder that affects writing and hand skills (fine motor skills). Dysgraphia does not affect intelligence. 

  It affects:

  • spelling
  • writing clearly (legibility)
  • word spacing and sizing
  • expression

   Dysgraphia can look like:

  • writing very slowly
  • handwriting is difficult to read
  • inconsistent spacing of letters and words
  • running out of space on a page
  • saying the words out loud while writing
  • avoiding tasks or activities that involve writing

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  Getting help

  If you think your child may have dysgraphia, speak to your child's teacher or their school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) about your concerns.

  If your child continues to have problems despite the extra help, your or the school may want to request an in-depth assessment. The assessment can be completed by a specialist in assessing specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or a educational psychologist.

  The assessment can be arranged through the school or you can request a private assessment. Assessments for dysgraphia are not available through the NHS.

• Dyslexia

  Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that affects children and adults. It can make everyday life more difficult. Dyslexia does not affect intelligence. It can affect:

  • reading
  • writing
  • spelling
  • how information is processed
  • memory
  • planning and organising

  It can affect people in different ways. Your child's dyslexia may be different to another child's dyslexia.  Approximately 1 in 10 people has some degree of dyslexia.

  Dyslexia can look like, but is not limited to:

  • difficulties learning the alphabet
  • difficulties expressing themselves with words like being unable to remember the right word or struggling to put a sentence together
  • unpredictable or inconsistent spelling
  • slow writing speed and poor handwriting
  • struggling to learn sequences like days of the week or the alphabet
  • confusing letters that look similar or writing letters the wrong way around like "b" instead of "d"

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  Getting help

  If you think your child may have dyslexia, speak to your child's teacher or their school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) about your concerns.

  If your child continues to have problems despite the extra help, you or the school may want to request an in-depth assessment. The assessment can be completed by a specialist in assessing specific learning difficulties (SpLD), an educational psychologist or a speech and language therapist.

  The assessment can be arranged through the school or you can request a private assessment. Assessments for dyslexia are not available through the NHS.

  Local dyslexia associations for assessments:

  • South Bedfordshire Dyslexia Association
  • The Dyslexia Association

  Dyslexia charities and associations:

  • British Dyslexia Association

• Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder or DCD)

  Dyspraxia is a type of developmental coordination disorder or DCD. People often use dyspraxia, developmental coordination disorder or DCD to mean the same thing. They are different but the terms are used interchangeably. 

  Dyspraxia is a common developmental condition in children and adults. It affects:

  • hand skills (fine motor skills)
  • movement coordination (gross motor coordination)
  • balance
  • planning and organising
  • carrying out movements in the right order
  • memory
  • muscle strength and tone

  It can affect people in different ways. Your child's developmental coordination disorder (DCD) or dyspraxia may be different to another child.

  Having a DCD or dyspraxia does not that children cannot do an activity or sport, but it does mean it can be harder for them to learn it. The coordination difficulties can make everyday life much more difficult.

  Read more about dyspraxia and developmental coordination disorders.

• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

  OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a relatively common mental health problem. It can affect different differently but usually causes a particular pattern of thoughts and behaviours.

  OCD can look like:

  • stress and anxiety from unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images, impulses, worries and feelings 
  • feeling the strong urge to do something to stop their feelings or thoughts
  • doing certain behaviours to feel 'just right' 
  • feeling temporary relief after doing a certain action or ritual
  • checking things, repeating actions or phrases or arranging objects in specific patterns
  • avoiding situations, people, places or activities that cause upsetting thoughts

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  Getting help

  If you think your child or young person may have OCD, speak to your child or young person's GP.

  You can also use the self-referral form to refer on behalf of your child or young person into the child and adult mental health services:

  • Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) South Bedfordshire and Luton
  • Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) North Bedfordshire

• Tics

  Tics are fast repetitive movements or sounds are made without warning. Tics are not usually serious and normally improve over time. But they can be frustrating and interfere with everyday activities.

  There are two categories of tics, simple and complex tics. Simple tics are a single movement or sound.

  Simple movement tics (motor tics) - Shoulder shrugs or touching things

  Simple sound tics (vocal or phonic tics) - Clearing their throat or making a specific noise

  Complex tics are tics that affect more than one muscle group or cause your child to make more than one sound. 

  Complex movement tic (motor tic) - Arms and legs tensing at the same time, slapping themselves or twisting their body. 

  Complex sound tic (vocal or phonic tic) - Making several sounds or sentences

  Read more about tics.

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  Getting help

  If you are concerned about your child or young person tics, speak to your child or young person's GP. In Bedfordshire and Luton there are 3 NHS organisations who help children and young people with tics:

  • Bedfordshire and Luton Community Paediatrics
  • Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS)
  • General paediatrics or paediatric neurology

  Where your child or young person is referred will depend on the cause of the tics and other conditions your child or young person has. 

  Referrals to Bedfordshire and Luton community paediatrics

  Your child or young person will be referred to Bedfordshire and Luton community paediatrics if:

  • you have concerns about tics, your child 12 years old or younger, and diagnosed with autism or waiting for an autism assessment
  • you have concerns about tics and your child or young person diagnosed with ADHD or waiting for an assessment

  Visit the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Paediatrics Service.

  Referrals to child and adult mental health service (CAMHS):

  Your child or young person will be referred to Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) if:

  • you have concerns about tics, your young person is 13 years or older and diagnosed with autism or waiting for an autism assessment
  • your child or young person is presenting tics and has an anxiety disorder or any other mental health concerns

  Visit the Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) South Bedfordshire and Luton.

  Visit the Child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) North Bedfordshire.

  Referrals to general paediatrics or paediatric neurology

  Your child or young person will be referred to general paediatrics or paediatric neurology if:

  • your child or young person is presenting isolated tics which are having a significant impact on their quality of life
  • your child or young person is presenting tics with other neurological concerns

  Visit the Children's (Paediatrics) Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.