How our service can help you
AID-IIT and Orchids are Tier 4 national and specialist outpatient CAMHS teams covering the London area. Our aim is to reduce or prevent where possible inpatient CAMHS admissions for children and young people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism, or to support young people already in inpatient care with a successful and timely transition back to the community. The AID-IIT team support young people between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. The Orchids team support young people under the age of 13.
We are based at the Pears Maudsley Centre at the Maudsley Hospital.
- Service Borough Covers: National (Child and Adolescent services) Treatment type: Outpatient
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Contact the service
Site Location: Pears Maudsley Centre Known As: N&S CAMHS AID-IIT, N&S CAMHS Orchids Email: AIDIIT@slam.nhs.uk Phone Number: 07858686425 - Address: Pears Maudsley Centre, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill,London, SE5 8AZ
- Business Hours/Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Conditions: aspergers, complex mental health, neuro-disability, learning disability, AID-IIT, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disability, Preventing CAMHS inpatient admissions, Supported discharge, Transforming Care, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, challenging behaviour, self-harm, self-injurious behaviour, mental health.
Other essential information
Referrals
We offer assessment, consultation, intervention, advice and support to services, families, and young people to try to best meet the needs of young people with intellectual disabilities, Autism and complex mental health needs including behaviours that challenge. We work collaboratively in addition to, not instead of, local CAMHS services and other local services supporting the young person.
Our team puts flexibility and multi-disciplinary perspectives at the core of our work. We offer multi- disciplinary assessment and consultation across London, which may include outreach work to the young person’s home, or in-reach work to an inpatient ward. Our service includes the following disciplines:
- Clinical Psychologists
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Senior Educational Psychologist
- Family therapy
- Behaviour Analyst
- Nursing
- Assistant Psychologists
- Administration support
If this was not what you were looking for:
The SCAAND services see young people who have, or might have, neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disability with additional mental health or behaviour problems, as well as young people with psychological problems associated with head injury, functional conditions or genetic conditions. Our teams work together and refer between services as necessary.
This page relates to the NHS England funded AID-IIT service to support young people with Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder from across London who are at risk of hospital admission. The AID-IIT service within SCAAND has close links with the specialist outpatient component of SCAAND, as well as a number of specialist Outpatient CAMHS services including the Mental Health of Intellectual Disabilities service.
Additionally, we have links with other teams within National and Specialist CAMHS, within SLaM more broadly, King’s Health Partners and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.
For young people who do not have a complex autism presentation, you may be looking for our specialist outpatient teams who see young people with a range of neurodevelopmental presentations:
Interventions
AID-IIT and Orchids works jointly with teams in a child or young person's local area for a short but intensive period. We offer a range of activities depending on the needs of the child or young person, their family and the local network’s needs. This includes:
- Complex multi-disciplinary assessment of the young person’s needs leading to formulation and recommendations for their support
- Multi-disciplinary interventions and support to the young person and their family. This will be adapted in the context of their suspected or confirmed diagnosis of Autism or intellectual disability
- Consultation, training and advice to other professionals
- Attendance at Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETRs), Care Programme Approach (CPA), as well as other network and care planning meetings
- For young people under 13, we can support with extended neurodevelopmental assessment (if this has not yet been formally assessed and cannot be offered via other pathways)
Eligibility criteria
Referrals need to be made by an NHS CAMHS clinician who knows the young person. Children and young people under the age of 18 for AID-IIT and under the age of 13 for Orchids can be referred if they meet all of the below criteria:
- Have a confirmed diagnosis of an Intellectual Disability or Autism. For the Orchids team, this diagnosis can be strongly suspected but not yet confirmed.
- Are at high/imminent risk of admission to a CAMHS inpatient unit or already admitted to a CAMHS inpatient unit.
- Are open to a London borough CAMHS team and live in the London area. Young people need to have active local CAMHS support in place and an allocated care coordinator. Local CAMHS need to be committed to joint working with Orchids/AID-IIT.
Exclusion:
- Young people over the age of 18.
- Young people who are not at high risk of inpatient admission.
- Young people who are not open to a local CAMHS or where local CAMHS are not actively involved/do not have an allocated care coordinator.
Outcomes
Our outcomes include:
- Reduction in the number of inpatient admissions, or the length of stay in inpatient care for young people with a diagnosis of a learning disability or Autism.
- Young people’s needs are met in the community, avoiding hospital admission where possible.
- Increased confidence reported by the family or carers, and local professionals that they feel able to work together to meet the young person’s complex needs in the community.
- Reduced rates of re-admission through improved discharge planning and community care plan implementation
- Improved wellbeing and quality of life for young people with learning disabilities and Autism and their families or carers.
Care Options
Testimonials
SCAAND developed resources
- Supporting behaviour change at home for autistic young people
- Managing anxiety in children and young people on the autism spectrum
Resources from other groups
- Advice and Support on a range of topics from the National Autism Society
- ADHD in Adults: Support Groups (AADD-UK)
Useful articles and research
Our experts
Dr Catherine Sholl, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Team Lead - read more
Dr Josephine Church, Clinical Psychologist - read more
Dr Jessica Gash, Counselling Psychologist - read more
Sarah Gilbert, Occupational Therapist - read more
Dr James Gilsenan, Specialist Autism Education Lead and Senior Educational Psychologist - Read more
Scott O’Hare, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Rachel Isaku, Occupational Therapist - read more
Matt Wicks, Behaviour Analyst - read more
Paul Wallis, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist — read more
Dr Eirini Skouta, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Scott O’Hare, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Dr Holly Taylor, Senior Clinical Psychologist
