Autism Diagnostic Service (LADS)
Referral information
Healthcare professionals can refer someone to the Leeds Autistic Diagnostic Service. Please visit our ‘Referral Information’ page to download our referral form.
Criteria for referral:
- They must be over 18 years old. If they are under 18, please contact the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
- They must be registered with a GP in Leeds.
- They must consent to the referral and understand the assessment process, including the possibility of not being diagnosed with autism.
- They must have experienced autistic features during childhood
Second opinions
Sometimes, people ask for a second opinion after having an autism assessment, either with us or another service, if they don’t agree with the diagnosis.
We only offer a second opinion if there is new and compelling information. This usually means additional developmental or collateral history from a mental health professional or a close relative.
If you have new information and would like a second opinion, please fill in a referral form which you can find on our ‘Referral Information’ page.
Consultancy service
Purpose of consultancy
Our consultancy service helps professionals understand how autism affects social inclusion, daily life, and mental health for autistic individuals, their carers, and staff. We aim to identify practical adjustments to improve service access, communication, and relationships between autistic people and their care teams. Our team supports refining interventions and deepening knowledge of autism for everyone involved.
Who is consultancy for?
This service is for autistic adults with significant additional challenges, such as mental health issues, social difficulties, or day-to-day functioning problems, and/or high levels of risk. Due to our small team, we can only offer consultancy to those with the highest need for a limited time. Referrals are accepted from professionals only, and the service user must be receiving ongoing support from an LYPFT care team for at least 3 months after accessing our consultancy.
The service is for those already diagnosed with autism, either by the Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service or another provider. If diagnosed elsewhere, we need a copy of the diagnostic report. If this is unavailable, please contact us to discuss.
During the consultancy process:
- Ideally, the professional and service user attend together (with or without carers).
- The named professional can attend alone.
- In some cases, we may see the service user and/or carer without a professional, but we aim to facilitate the working relationship between health professionals and the autistic person.
What consultancy involves
The process includes one to three appointments spaced apart, allowing time to try out strategies and review any changes in care. We expect the service user to remain under the care of the named professional and have a “home” team for at least 3 months beyond our consultation to support implementing any adjustments or recommendations.
How to refer
For referral information, please fill in the consultancy referral form. For more details on the consultancy service, email the Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service consultancy inbox.
Training
We offer Tier 2 Autism Training to all patient-facing clinical staff in LYPFT and staff from other organisations within LYPFT teams. The training, co-produced with Experts By Experience, aims to increase awareness of autism and confidence in caring for autistic service users.
Training topics include:
- Mental health and autism
- Females on the autism spectrum
- Camouflaging and masking
- Communication and autism
- Sensory processing differences
- Diagnostic overshadowing
The training is delivered by specialist clinicians from the Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service. To book a session, check Learn for available sessions or email the autism training inbox.
Reasonable adjustments
Autistic people are entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. The NHS and other services must ensure that autistic people can access the same services as others. The National Autistic Society’s ‘Good Practice Guide for Professionals Delivering Talking Therapies for Autistic Adults and Children’ offers guidance on implementing reasonable adjustments in services.
Four previous service users of the Leeds Autism Diagnostic Service share their experiences of accessing reasonable adjustments below, followed by the reasonable adjustments video.
Page last updated: 19th Dec 2025 1:16pm