The learning disability and autism team

Illustration of people holding hands in a circle

Welcome to the Learning Disability and Autism team. Our team support children and young people with a learning disability and or autism. We help advocate for your rights for equal care. We can support with reasonable adjustment plans that meet your needs for when you come to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The learning disability and autism team can also support you in appointments when you want to attend without your family to help you gain confidence to do this on your own.

We can help the teams you see at GOSH understand what you need.

We understand that attending hospital can be a daunting experience and want to make visiting Great Ormond Street as positive as it can be for you.

Meet the team

  • Alexander Walker - Matron
  • Laura Adeyefa - Lead Practice Educator
  • Lois Watson - Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Mollie Musgrove - Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Emily Hart - Specialist Nurse
  • Nicole Smillie - Practice Educator
  • Our team can help you start practicing going to appointments on your own. We can help prepare you.
  • Our team can help you to create a hospital passport that you can take to other hospitals. This helps other hospitals understand what helps you.
  • Our team can bring you things that will help you in your appointment e.g. ear defenders or sensory toys.
  • Our team can link with your local hospitals when you leave Great Ormond Street to make sure they are aware of your needs and how to support you.
  • Our team can speak to you about things you would like to have in place for appointments and admissions. For example, having somewhere quiet to wait for your appointment. These are called “reasonable adjustments”.

Remember, it is your right to ask for reasonable adjustments.

If you have a learning disability and or autism and feel you would like some more support in hospital we would love to hear from you.

Email: learning.disability@gosh.nhs.uk

Telephone: 020 7813 8465

If you want our support when you are at Great Ormond Street and you find it hard to contact us yourself, try and ask someone who works here to call us.

We are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. If we are unable to take your call please leave a voicemail and we will call you back.