First Links including Multi-Disciplinary Assessment
Who is it for?
- Children who are under a Consultant Paediatrician, either community or acute, and registered with a Shropshire or Telford GP
- Children who have complex medical and learning needs which are likely to be long term
- Children can be referred under the age of 18 months
- Children who present with suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are referred to an alternative pathway.
Who supports?
Multiple agencies and other professionals are involved with this pathway and work together to provide the relevant support for the child, their families and educational settings.
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Community Paediatrician
- Specialist Nursery Nurse
- Educational Psychologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physiotherapist
- Sensory Inclusion Service
- Portage
- Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
What is provided?
From Birth to Multi-disciplinary Assessment (MDA)
- Initial contact with a Speech and Language Therapist or a Specialist Nursery Nurse to gather information about your child and explain the first links pathway and what is involved.
- First Links Group in Telford and Shropshire:
- Term time only
- One hour session
- Led by a Speech and Language Therapist, Specialist Nursery Nurse/Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
- Maximum of 6 children per session
- Individual appointments for specific eating drinking or swallowing advice if required.
- Individual appointments if unable to access the group.
MDA assessment
A multi-disciplinary assessment will be arranged when your child is between 2 years 3 months and 2 years 6 months. This will involve a play based assessment with various professionals which could include:
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Community Paediatrician
- Specialist Nursery Nurse
- Educational Psychologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physiotherapist
- Sensory Inclusion Service
- Portage
- Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
After the assessment there will a feedback meeting with the First Links team and a you will receive a detailed report outlining the assessment and the next steps.
After the MDA assessment
Your child will stop attending the First Links group once they have had their MDA assessment and feedback. However the involvement from the First Links teams will continue until your child reaches school age. A Speech and language Therapist and/or Specialist Nursery nurse will visit your child in their educational setting and your child may then be transferred to the speech and language therapist supporting their school or discharged.
Links to videos
This link will take you to a video about the Multi Disciplinary Assessment process.
This link will take you to a video about what to expect at your child's Multi Disciplinary Assessment.
What happens in the First Links group?
You and your child will take part in a range of fun activities including, but not limited to:
- listening to a story
- singing songs
- exploring sensory materials
What will we learn?
Strategies to develop communication skills including:
- Makaton signing
- use of objects and pictures
- to communicate wants and wishes
- to help children understand what will happen next.
- use of motivating toys
- Attention bucket
- speech sound activities
- how to best use your language and nonverbal communication skills to encourage your child’s communication skills.
- strategies to reduce sensory sensitivities for play and feeding
- messy play opportunities