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You Said, We Did: Improvements to our Autism, ADHD and Neurodivergence Support pages

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As part of our Local Offer Review and Improvement Project, we have worked closely with Parent Carers, Gloucestershire Parent Carer Forum (GPCF), and partner services to review and improve the Autism, ADHD and Neurodivergence Support section of the SEND Local Offer website. This work has been guided by our new Quality Assurance Framework, which ensures information is accurate, accessible, regularly reviewed and shaped by the experiences of local families.
Screenshot of Autism, ADHD and ND page on the Local Offer

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Families told us that finding clear, accessible information about autism, ADHD and neurodivergence can sometimes be challenging, particularly when waiting for assessments or trying to understand what support is available.

How we used your feedback

Through surveys, engagement activities and focus groups, families told us what information mattered most to them and where improvements were needed. We listened carefully and used this feedback to redesign and update the pages.

You asked for clearer explanations of neurodiversity terms

Parents Carers toldus they wanted more information about terms such as:

  • Masking.
  • PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance).
  • Dyslexia.
  • Neurodiversity.
  • Pica.

In response, we developed a new Neurodivergence Glossary which explains many of the terms commonly used throughout the Local Offer. The glossary will continue to evolve as language, understanding and best practice develop, and we welcome ongoing feedback from families to help keep it relevant and useful. We also renamed this section of the website to "Autism, ADHD and Neurodivergence Support" to better reflect the content families wanted to see.

You wanted clearer information about what happens after diagnosis

Families told us that receiving a diagnosis often raised new questions about what happens next.

Working alongside the Children's Autism and ADHD Assessment Service (CAAAS), we developed a new Post Diagnosis  section which includes information about:

  • Parent courses.
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
  • Disability Related Support (DRS).
  • Short Breaks.
  • Autism Liaison Officer support.
  • Transition to adult services.

This information has been shaped by feedback from families about what they wished they had known earlier in their journey.

You wanted greater transparency about waiting lists and service improvements

Families told us they wanted to better understand what was being done to improve assessment waiting times.

To address this, we have:

  • Added information about the work of the SEND and Inclusion Local Area Partnership (SILAP) here.
  • Included details about the Autism Partnership Board here.
  • Shared relevant improvement updates.
  • Clearly explained how families can provide feedback, comments or complaints.

This helps ensure families understand both the current position and the work taking place to improve services.

What difference has this made?

The improvements are already making a positive difference.

Since the refresh:

  • Visitors are spending almost three times longer on the updated pages.
  • Users are exploring more content during each visit.
  • Parent Carers have reviewed and tested the pages for accessibility and relevance.
  • The average reading age of content has reduced significantly, making information easier to understand.

These findings suggest that families are finding the information more useful, engaging and relevant to their needs.

Thank you for your feedback.

For more information on sharing feedback, please visit the  'Have your Say' page on Support for Families with SEND - Gloucestershire's Local Offer for Parent Carers

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