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The new NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service will explore eight key areas of a child's life.Is the UK finally making a slow return to sanity?
To assess "development", doctors will take a "detailed history" of the child's social, cognitive and physical growth, particularly because of the "substantial" changes that take place during puberty.
They will screen children for autism and learning disabilities and look into whether further "cognitive assessments" are necessary.
The specification says: "Given the high prevalence of neurodiversity identified within this population, all those attending the NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service should receive screening for neurodevelopmental conditions."
The "multidisciplinary team" of experts, including a consultant specialising in neurodevelopmental disorders, will create a treatment plan for each individual depending on their diagnosis.
If screening "identifies the presence of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a referral should be considered to the Paediatric Neurodevelopmental Service or Paediatric ASD Service," the guidance states.
In such cases, the team of doctors will have to determine if the child's symptoms are caused by autism or whether they also need separate treatment for gender dysphoria.
They could also be kept under review every six months while getting help for their autism or discharged from the service.
Comment: Stealth deployment: Forget consent, we won't even know it.