In this section...

  1. Adult Community Services
  2. Children's services
  3. Carers corner
  4. Community mental health services
  5. Community response to COVID-19
  6. Dementia and older people’s mental health
  7. Health for Homeless Service
  8. Medication
  9. Learning disability services
  10. Personalised care planning
  11. SilverCloud
  12. Spiritual and pastoral care
  13. Suicide Liaison Service
  14. Transforming wound care
  15. Tuberculosis Service
  16. Talking Therapies
  17. Useful information following a bereavement
  18. Video appointments
  19. Virtual wards
  20. Wheelchair Service
  21. Worried about someone's mental health?

Autism Intensive Support Team

Our service covers all of Cornwall. We work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, except for bank holidays.

The team provide advice, assessment and treatment to people who are autistic. These people may present with behaviours that are significantly functionally compromised because of their autism. They could also be presenting with behaviours that are likely to lead to risks of harm to themselves or other people.

Our team is not an adult diagnosis service. For a diagnostic assessment of autism, contact our Adult Autism Assessment Team.

Our clinical team is made up of the following:

  • psychiatry
  • psychology
  • team manager and clinician
  • occupational therapy
  • occupational therapy and speech and language therapy technician
  • speech and language therapy
  • allied health professionals
  • senior support workers

What to expect from us

We are commissioned to work with a maximum caseload of 20 people. Our remit is set out below.

Multi-professional consultation service

For clients who have a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are currently supported by a statutory service and a health or social care plan in place.

Multi-disciplinary assessment service

For individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria of autistic spectrum disorder level 3 DSM-5 with emerging, acute needs within the community. The criteria is symptoms that emerged by early childhood and be of an intense nature causing severe challenges in social communication as well as extremely inflexible behaviour throughout developmental and adult life. This criteria is taken from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Transforming Care Pathway. It does not include people with severe mental health problems or those people who require preventative support.

Care coordination

For people who meet the transforming care threshold and are therefore funded by continuing healthcare (CHC) or Section 117 eligible for predominantly autistic needs. For example, those who were detained under Section 3 for abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct.

Inclusion criteria

  • Must have documented evidence of a formal assessment of autism and diagnosis which meets the latest international guidelines.
  • Clinical need related specifically to autism.
  • Referrals from statutory services.

Exclusion criteria

  • No formal diagnosis of autism. The team are not commissioned to provide diagnostic services but are duty bound to examine the robustness of the quality and nature of the diagnosis.
  • The individual has a learning disability (IQ less than 70).
  • If the individual has a primary need of severe or enduring mental illness, eating disorder or personality disorder or complex emotional difficulties. Consultation may be offered to the professional team if appropriate.

The service will provide direct assessment and intervention and consultation clinics.

Please note that we are not an emergency or crisis service.

How to make a referral

All referrals to the service must be completed on our referral form. The form must be completed in full before sent to us by email. Email the Autism Intensive Support Team

We are a specialist service and accept referrals from statutory health and/or adult social care agencies. Self-referrals are not accepted.

The inbox is checked daily. In most cases, new referrals will be discussed in the weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting, which is held on a Thursday.