Waiting for Assessment

A practical 66-page SEND guide for parents and carers in England who are waiting for an autism, ADHD, neurodevelopmental or related assessment for their child. Includes 20 guidance chapters and 30 printable tools to help you track referrals, request support, prepare evidence and manage the waiting period.

Waiting for your child's assessment can be exhausting.

You may have concerns about development, communication, behaviour, sensory needs, learning or emotional wellbeing, but no diagnosis, no clear timetable and no single professional coordinating the support your child needs.

Meanwhile, school, appointments, paperwork, family life and everyday responsibilities continue.

Waiting for Assessment helps you understand what you can do while waiting, what questions to ask and how to organise useful information without turning your child's life into another complicated administrative project.

What you can do while you wait. Reduce the pressure. Build the right support.

What's included in the guide?

The guide contains 20 practical chapters covering:

• Understanding assessment pathways: What developmental, autism, ADHD and related assessments may involve.
• Checking referrals and waiting lists: How to confirm referral acceptance, record progress and ask for updates.
• School support before diagnosis: How to discuss your child's current needs, SEN Support and reasonable adjustments while assessment is pending.
• Preparing useful evidence: Recording developmental history, sensory needs, communication differences, masking, strengths and everyday difficulties.
• Getting ready for assessment appointments: What information to gather and questions to consider asking.
• When referrals are rejected or delayed: Understanding possible next steps when referrals are returned, closed, cancelled or delayed.
• Considering assessment pathways: Exploring NHS provider choice and private assessment considerations without assuming these routes are available or appropriate in every situation.
• Financial and practical support: Identifying benefits and other support that may be worth checking while waiting.
• Responding to increasing needs: What to do when school attendance, safety or family circumstances change.
• After the assessment: Understanding possible outcomes and organising the next steps.

30 printable assessment planning tools

The guide also includes 30 practical worksheets, templates, checklists and trackers, including:

• Ten-minute waiting-stage priority checklist.
• Referral pathway map and confirmation email.
• Waiting-list tracker and update request.
• One-page needs and support snapshot.
• School meeting preparation worksheet.
• Support-before-diagnosis request template.
• Assess, Plan, Do, Review tracker.
• Daily impact diary and developmental timeline.
• Sensory and communication profiles.
• Sleep, eating and toileting record.
• Safety and escalation plan.
• Professional contacts and evidence trackers.
• Assessment preparation checklist and questions.
• Rejected referral review and escalation email.
• NHS provider choice comparison worksheet.
• Private assessment due-diligence checklist.
• DLA and care evidence planning tool.
• Family support-gap map.
• School crisis and attendance plan.
• Assessment outcome and next-steps records.

These tools are designed to help you capture information once and reuse it when speaking to schools, health professionals and assessment services.

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for parents and carers in England whose child is waiting for, or being referred for, an assessment involving:

• Autism or ADHD.
• Neurodevelopmental or developmental differences.
• Speech, language and communication needs.
• Occupational therapy or sensory-related needs.
• Paediatric or related health and developmental concerns.
• Mental health or overlapping support needs.

It may be particularly useful if:

• You're unsure whether your child's referral has been accepted.
• You don't know what support to ask for while waiting.
• School is suggesting that support must wait for a diagnosis.
• You're struggling to keep track of appointments, reports or correspondence.
• You're preparing for your child's first assessment appointment.
• A referral has been rejected, delayed or lost.
• Your child's needs or family circumstances have changed significantly.
• You're uncertain what happens after the assessment.

You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to use the guide's organisation and planning tools.

Practical support during the waiting period

You do not need to complete this guide from beginning to end.

Start with the issue in front of you.

If you need to check a referral, use the referral tools. If school support is the immediate concern, start there. If an assessment appointment is approaching, use the preparation worksheets.

The goal is not to build evidence for a predetermined diagnosis or create a perfect record of every difficulty.

It is to help you describe your child's needs accurately, ask useful questions and keep information organised.

Waiting for an assessment does not mean you have to wait to ask for help.

Part of the No Village SEND Support Library

This guide is part of the No Village collection of practical resources for families navigating education, health and support systems without enough reliable backup.

It complements When You Don't Have a Village by Abigail Daniels but can be used independently.

No Village recognises that waiting for assessment can involve significant additional work for parents who are already coordinating appointments, supporting their child and managing everyday responsibilities.

These resources aim to reduce some of that burden through clear explanations and reusable tools.

Use what helps. Leave what doesn't.

Digital download

Format: 66-page digital PDF guide

Includes: 20 guidance chapters and 30 printable tools

Region: England

Price: £7.99

Author: Abigail Daniels

Edition: First Edition, Version 1.0

This is a digital download. No physical product will be posted.

You can save and print the guide for your own personal or household use.

Personal use and organisational licensing

Your purchase includes a Personal Use Licence.

Reproducing, sharing, redistributing or using this publication as an organisational resource requires appropriate permission or an organisation licence, except where permitted by law.

For professional or organisational enquiries, visit novillage.co.uk.

Important information

This guide provides general information, planning tools and practical support. It does not diagnose conditions or provide individual clinical, medical, educational, legal, benefits or crisis advice.

Assessment pathways, eligibility criteria, waiting times, service arrangements and relevant guidance can change.

Guidance and official sources were last checked on 24 August 2026.

Always check current official information and obtain appropriate professional advice for individual circumstances. If your child's health, mental health or safety deteriorates significantly, seek appropriate urgent support rather than waiting for a routine assessment.

This is an independently published No Village resource and is not produced, approved or endorsed by the NHS, Department for Education or other organisations referenced in the guide.