Technology Matters: The ESSENCE of holistic neurodivergent identification in a digital age

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Chadwick, G., Davidson, C., Lang, J., Landberg, S., Koepplinger, S., Broadbent, M., Fordham, M., Gillberg, C., & Minnis, H. (2025). Technology Matters: The ESSENCE of holistic neurodivergent identification in a digital age. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 30(3), 317-319. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70011

Publication date: 3 Jul 2025 Added to AutiHub: 18 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
9
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 9 (11.1%)
  1. Guy Chadwick
  2. Claire Davidson
  3. Jason Lang *
  4. Sara Landberg
  5. Stephen Koepplinger
  1. Maryan Broadbent
  2. Mike Fordham
  3. Christopher Gillberg
  4. Helen Minnis

Abstract

There is growing recognition that neurodivergence encompasses overlapping and co‐occurring neurodevelopmental traits rather than isolated diagnostic categories. However, clinical services often struggle to adopt holistic, needs‐based assessments due to reliance on condition‐specific pathways. This article introduces ESSENCE‐D, a digital tool designed to support neurodevelopmental formulation by surveying traits across multiple neurotypes without a pre‐defined diagnostic focus. ESSENCE‐D generates visual profiles that help clinicians and families better understand an individual's strengths and needs, guiding multidisciplinary decision‐making. Preliminary piloting suggests the tool is sensitive, user‐friendly and could help streamline emerging holistic neurodevelopmental pathways. With ongoing clinical trials underway, ESSENCE‐D represents a promising step towards aligning neurodevelopmental services with the principles of neurodiversity and improving care for neurodivergent individuals.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 19 Sep 2026 01:01.

Cited references
8
With a DOI
6
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
2
2 / 8 (25.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 8 (25.0%)
References with detected author names
6 / 8 (75.0%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
2
References with raw author names still to review
2
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
25
From DOI or external metadata
25
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
2
16 / 25 (64.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 9 / 25 (36.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
7 / 25 (28.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 7 / 16 (43.8%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 7 / 23 (30.4%).
  1. Christopher Gillberg (2010). The ESSENCE in child psychiatry: Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations . Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(6), 1543-1551. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2010.06.002 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2099620370
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4247665917
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Sara Landberg , M. Broadbent , M. Fordham , Guy Chadwick , Helen Minnis , J. Lang et al. (2026). The development of the ESSENCE Diagnostic aid (ESSENCE-D) . Child & Youth Services, 47(2), 273-289. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/0145935x.2025.2484238 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4408961056
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4281687410
    OpenAlex
  8. Welsh Government. (2022). Review of the demand capacity and design of neurodevelopmental services: Summary report. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics‐and‐research/2022‐07/review‐of‐the‐demand‐capacity‐and‐design‐of‐neurodevelopmental‐services‐summary‐report.pdf
    Type: Other
    Crossref