With the average waiting time for a neurodevelopmental assessment being 69 weeks across Warwickshire, Purple House Clinic Rugby is helping to reduce this growing demand. In 2023, the Clinic saw an 11% rise in enquiries from both adults and children compared to the previous year, of which 90% led to a full neurodevelopmental assessment for either Autism or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“Coventry and Warwickshire have some of the longest waiting lists in the country for neurodevelopmental assessments, so it’s vital for us to be able to provide a specialised assessment service to help tackle the overwhelming demand in the Warwickshire area and offer a viable alternative to using NHS services. With increased awareness of both mental health issues and neurodiversity, the requirement for our services has risen steeply – we have seen a continuous growth year on year since we launched in 2021, which emphasises how important our services are to the local community here in Rugby/Warwickshire,” said Dr Rachel Kemp, Clinical Director at Purple House Clinic Rugby.
Whilst awareness of neurodiversity is increasing, there is still a lack of understanding about the individual variances and the range of characteristics associated with different neurotypes, resulting in many children and adults not getting the help they need. Autism and ADHD present differently in different people and this can be influenced by varying factors, including life experiences. Unhelpful stereotypes mean that people who do not “appear” to be neurodivergent can miss out on timely diagnosis and support.
