Welcome to Ask Robyn

Welcome to our Ask Robyn service, and thank you for getting in touch about your 10 year old son.

Trying to access an assessment and appropriate support for a child can be frustrating and exhausting, particularly when you have already approached different services and feel you are being passed from one to another.

We understand that CAMHS has not accepted your son’s referral and that your local Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) has explained that ADHD assessments are not part of the support they can currently provide. This can leave families unsure where to turn next, especially when a child is also experiencing anxiety.

Understanding the different services

Firstly, it may help to know that different services have different referral criteria and responsibilities.

CAMHS generally supports children and young people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties, including ADHD where specialist mental health care is needed. CDNTs support children with complex disability needs, but the assessment services available can vary depending on the child’s needs and local arrangements.

Therefore, a referral not being accepted by one service does not necessarily mean your son does not need support. It may mean that a different assessment or support pathway needs to be explored.

Exploring the next steps

We would encourage you to return to your GP and explain the difficulties you have experienced accessing services. Your GP can review your son’s anxiety and ADHD related concerns, consider the reasons his previous referral was declined and discuss what other options may be available.

Some practical steps that may help include:

• Ask your GP to review the CAMHS referral outcome and whether further information or a referral to another appropriate service is needed.
• Request written clarification from the services you have contacted about their decisions and any alternative pathways they recommend.
• Speak with your son’s school about what they are noticing and what supports or reasonable adjustments can be provided while you explore assessment options.
• Keep a brief record of your son’s difficulties, including how anxiety, concentration, emotional regulation or other concerns are affecting his everyday life.

Free ISPCC programmes that may help

Alongside exploring an assessment, we would particularly encourage you to look at our free Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Programmes.

We offer two programmes that may be relevant to your son’s age and needs:

• Supporting an Anxious Child is designed for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11 who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. It offers practical tools to help parents understand anxiety and support their children.
• Supporting a Child with ADHD is designed for parents and carers of children aged 6 to 12 who are experiencing ADHD related challenges, whether or not they have received a formal diagnosis.

These guided online programmes can help parents develop strategies to support their children at home. They are not diagnostic assessments or replacements for specialist clinical care, but they may provide useful support while you continue exploring the appropriate services.

Continuing to seek support

If your son’s anxiety is becoming more severe or is affecting his ability to attend school, sleep or manage everyday activities, please speak with your GP about his current needs rather than waiting for an ADHD assessment.

If you would like to talk through the situation further, our Support Line is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm on 01 5224300. You can also email [email protected].

Your son can contact Childline’s 24 hour confidential, non judgemental and anonymous service on 1800 66 66 66 or through Childline.ie if he would like someone to talk to about his worries or feelings.

Thank you for reaching out to Ask Robyn. Please remember to look after yourself too as you continue seeking the support your son needs.

Robyn