The ChAT Services Multidisciplinary Team uses a collaborative approach to assessments. Through combining our knowledge and experience from diverse professional backgrounds, we view your presentation with a team-based lens, allowing for a holistic exploration of your unique qualities.
Our team includes Clinical Psychologists, an Occupational Therapist, Certified Assessor, Educational Psychologist, and an Assistant Psychologist.
Clinical Psychologists
In our MDT, the roles of Dr Valerie Wendorff and Tatiana Cantaud, our Clinical Psychologists, are pivotal. They craft personalised assessments, nurturing a strong rapport by establishing a safe space for clients to discuss difficulties.
In line with the NICE guidelines, they conduct structured clinical interviews and administer a range of neurocognitive and neuropsychological tests. All of the chosen assessments are renowned for their validity and reliability, allowing for methodical scoring and analysis of the results against the standardised norms. While gaining insight into the potential challenges a client may be facing, this also highlights their unique strengths, and abilities.
Beyond assessments, they actively collaborate in the MDT, offering valuable perspectives and clinical formulations. In turn, this supports in shaping intervention plans based on the individual’s needs and evidence-based practices.
Occupational Therapist
Colette Gaillard, our qualified Occupational Therapist, brings expertise in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach. With a focus on paediatric care, she assesses functional, sensory, and motor difficulties, creating innovative, individualized interventions for children’s holistic development within educational settings.
Colette collaborates within our multidisciplinary team, offering comprehensive occupational therapy services. She actively involves clients in decision-making, goal-setting, and problem-solving, utilizing meaningful therapeutic activities to strike a balance between challenge and achievable success.
Certified Assessor
Collaborating with our Certified Assessor, Nadia Thompson allows us to adopt an all-inclusive approach when examining Specific Learning Difficulties (i.e., Dyslexia and Dyscalculia). Through combining efforts with Nadia, we are able to gain a thorough understanding of an individual’s challenges by placing a magnifying glass on the nuances of any perceived learning differences.
Nadia’s involvement elevates our Multidisciplinary Team, she is a valuable member who effectively communicates with clients. She offers constructive support grounded in assessment findings that are carried out in line with the SASC guidelines. Nadia has also introduced a range of interventions not only for the individual but also their family and school to ensure a well-rounded regimen.
Educational Psychologist
Having an Educational Psychologist enriches our MDT and uniquely contributes to the team’s collective expertise. Our Educational Psychologist offers an insightful perspective around the realms of psychological and educational dynamics. Through administering a range of learning and cognitive assessments, information around a client’s intellect, education, and social functioning is gathered. Where necessary, further assessments into Specific Learning Difficulties can also be conducted.
Essentially, our Educational Psychologist can assess and interpret the impact of an individual’s learning setting while understanding the interplay of academic challenges and emotional well-being. Together, they assist with the formulation process and targeted interventions across both psychological and educational contexts.
Assistant Psychologist
Our Assistant Psychologist, Sue Touma draws from a background in multi-disciplinary collaboration, with a specific focus on working with individuals experiencing neurodiversity. As an ADOS-trained professional, Sue contributes to comprehensive assessments aligned with NICE guidelines, while engaging closely with diverse clients.
Serving as the initial point of contact for clients, she strives to cultivate a supportive environment, understanding individual needs and collaboratively planning next steps. Throughout the assessment process, Sue assists in scoring and analysing the results while participating in tailoring the interventions and writing neuro-affirmative reports. Her previous role as a neurodiversity support worker has provided her with a unique perspective on the challenges that support workers may encounter. This experience enables her to contribute to the re-evaluation of interventions when necessary.