Opt-in appointment

Some services, especially mental health and neurodevelopmental Neurodevelopmental A medical word for how the brain grows from childhood. Teams use it to name the assessment that looks at things like autism and ADHD. Read the full definition of Neurodevelopmental teams, use an opt-in system: after a referral referral When a professional passes your child on to a specialist team for assessment or treatment. A GP, school or health visitor can usually make one. Read the full definition of referral you get a letter or text asking you to phone, reply or book within a set window, often two weeks. If nobody replies, the service treats the family as not wanting the appointment and discharges the referral, sometimes without telling anyone directly.

This is a common way families quietly fall off waiting lists, and missing the window says nothing about how much your child needs help; letters go astray, and life with a struggling child is busy. If you realise you have missed an opt-in deadline, contact the service and explain, and if they have already closed the referral, ask your GP GP Your family doctor. For many families the GP is the first person to talk to, and the person who refers your child on to a specialist. Read the full definition of GP or whoever referred you to refer again. When a referral is made, it is worth asking whether the service uses opt-in letters so you know to watch the post.