Reflections from the Neurodevelopmental Conditions Community of Practice

On Friday 18th July, members of the Neurodevelopmental Conditions Community of Practice (CoP) gathered to share learning, test new ideas, and explore what the NHS 10-Year Plan could mean for children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions.

AI and Sleep Testing New Ideas in Real Time

A highlight of the session was Dr Laurence Telesia’s presentation on “Developing an AI chatbot to elicit clinically meaningful narratives from parents”.

“The Neurodevelopmental Conditions Community of Practice was an excellent forum to discuss my research ideas and get feedback from a diverse range of professionals from clinical, academic and other backgrounds.

My research interest is in sleep and ADHD, which we know from the existing literature is an important topic. Sleep problems impact the lives of many children and their wider families. But there has been very little qualitative research looking at the bedtime routine in this group, or identifying the sort of things that tend to go wrong. I’m looking to address this gap in the literature and explore whether AI can be used as a novel approach to get rich qualitative information from a much wider range of people than traditional qualitative methods can.

I think that we, as researchers and clinicians, could learn from the principles of User Centred Design. In this approach, input is sought very early, and prototypes are repeatedly iterated. I was therefore grateful for the opportunity to present an early prototype of an AI chatbot to the Community of Practice. Having so many people test the technology at the same time, and then thoughtfully discuss the experience of using it and its future potential, has been really valuable.

The group highlighted several improvements that could be made for the next iteration. There is no doubt that the Community of Practice has had a meaningful impact on the design of my research; within minutes of the meeting, I had updated the chatbot based on our discussions. I don’t think there would be another way to get such valuable feedback so quickly. “

What Could the NHS 10-Year Plan Mean for Neurodevelopmental Services?

The session also included a discussion on the NHS 10-Year Plan for England, led by Ashish Jain, exploring its potential impact on children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions.

The Plan sets out three headline shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. These ambitions align closely with the ethos of the King’s Maudsley Partnership, but the group also surfaced important reflections:

Hope and Curiosity – There was clear appreciation for the ambition of the Plan. Members were interested to understand more about how the Government would ensure that the funding, staffing, and infrastructure would match its ambitions.

Equity and Access- Concerns were raised about regional disparities and whether children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions will benefit equitably from reforms. Who will get access first? Will digital tools reach the digitally excluded?

The Role of Lived Experience- Members emphasised the need to embed lived experience in service design — particularly when developing community-based and digital solutions for children, young people and families navigating complex neurodevelopmental journeys.

Research Gaps and Opportunities- The Plan’s shift toward prevention and digital care opens doors for new research — but also raises questions. How do we measure impact for neurodiverse populations? What models are most effective for early intervention?

Joined-Up Working- A consistent theme was the need for genuine cross-sector collaboration. Education, health, and social care must be aligned if the vision of early, community-based, preventative support is to be realised.