Frequently Asked Questions

Someone told me that private assessments are not recognised by the NHS or Local Authority. Are your assessments and reports accepted?

 

Yes. According to the SEND and Disability Code of Practice, local authorities cannot legally reject a private Autism/ADHD assessment if a trained multidisciplinary professional team performed it, it follows NHS Gold Standard of Reporting and it follows NICE guidelines and DSM Marking Criteria.  A private Autism/ADHD assessment can be used as supporting evidence when requesting an Education, Health and Care Plan Assessment or workplace accommodations and adjustments. This means that by law, our assessment reports cannot be rejected. ​

 

Do I have to pay at time of booking?

 

Yes. We require payment when you book your assessment.

 

Do you accept payment plans?

 

We offer you a number of payment options such as credit card and PayPal, who offer you payment options such as paying in instalments. We do not offer credit/loan agreements ourselves as we are not registered with the Financial Conduct Authority to do so. 

 

Do you offer free screening before I commit to the full diagnostic assessment?

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Yes. We offer some free screening questionnaires on our website for you to use. These will help you to determine whether a diagnostic assessment may be of benefit to you. If you have completed these questionnaires, and you still are not sure, please complete the contact us form and one of our clinicians can give you a call to discuss your needs further. 

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Do I need my child's school and/or GP to agree to a private assessment?

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No. You can self-refer. We will contact your child's school and GP for their input. However, we do not require their consent or a referral from them to assess your child. Parental consent (or someone with Parental Responsibility) is essential for anyone under the age of 18 years. 

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Is full developmental history required for an adult assessment?

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It is helpful, but not essential as we understand that this information may not be readily available. We use a range of assessment tools to help us obtain a comprehensive picture of you and always follow NICE Guidelines. 

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What are the qualifications of your multidisciplinary team?

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Our team consists of Clinical Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers.  They are all registered with the appropriate professional bodies such as HCPC and GTC. They all have enhanced DBS checks. 

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What is the minimum age for a child assessment?

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We typically see children aged 4 years and above for assessment, but we can see younger children if required. We may not formally diagnose a toddler, but we can assess them and provide recommendations and then review them when they are older to provide a formal diagnosis. 

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How long does the assessment process take?

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We DO NOT assess you for 1 hour and then give a diagnosis! We do a thorough job and this involves some direct assessment (in person or remote), completion of questionnaires and information gathering from other sources.  We then discuss our findings as a multidisciplinary team and them feed this back to you.  On average, the assessment process takes 3-4 weeks from the point of referral to you receiving the report.

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Do you have a long waiting list?

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We aim to provide your first appointment within 4 weeks.

 

There are lots of companies offering Autism and ADHD assessments. Why should I choose you?

 

We provide a consistent high quality service. We adhere to NICE Guidelines and our assessments and reports are Gold Standard, utilising highly skilled multidisciplinary professionals. All of our assessments and reports are overseen by a Clinical Psychologist and Speech and Language Therapist. Our reports contain bespoke recommendations and are neuro-affirming.  We also provide post-diagnostic support. 

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Autism and ADHD can be missed in girls. How do you make sure you don't miss the female presentation?

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Our clinicians are highly skilled in the assessment of Autism and ADHD so have extensive experience in differential diagnosis. We also use tools such as the CAT-Q to identify masking/camouflaging behaviours. Our assessments are holistic and we do not simply rely on questionnaires. We are thorough and take a more in depth approach to assessment than some other services. 

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What happens after the assessment? Do you offer any post-diagnostic support?

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Our reports contain detailed recommendations and will signpost you to support services. We can also offer you services such as Speech and Language Therapy or counselling if you would find this helpful. 

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Can you prescribe medication for ADHD?

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Medication is not always suitable for everyone with ADHD and how medication is managed depends on local area. If you want to try medication following diagnosis, there are a number of possible pathways, and we can work with you to find the most suitable one for your needs. 1) You can go to your GP and ask them to refer you to you local medication service, there will likely be a waiting list for NHS medication, 2) You can choose your own private medical practitioner who can prescribe privately.