Autism diagnostic assessment guide: information for children and young people

Initial consultation

The initial consultation lasts 60 minutes and explores current concerns, including any mental health difficulties.

The initial consultation is conducted mostly with the parents, with the child attending briefly. We will then make a recommendation regarding the next steps.

Pre-assessment

Neurodevelopmental questionnaires are sent out to parents and returned to us prior to the next appointment.

Autism assessment

The Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) or the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview (3Di) (60 – 90 minutes) is conducted with the parents/carers only via video call.

The ADOS observation interview (60 minutes) consists of a series of tasks which have been designed to elicit subtle social communication difficulties, to explore creativity, and provide opportunities to observe repetitive behaviours and interests. For children under 12, we usually conduct this in person.

We collect school reports and meet with the child’s SENCO or class teacher for additional information.

Next steps

We schedule a feedback meeting with the parents to explain our diagnostic decision and provide them with a detailed diagnostic report with personalised recommendations.

FAQs

Will my child’s assessment be recognised by schools and the NHS?
We use the same high-quality standards as the NHS and follow the best practice guidance by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2018). We liaise with schools and utilise recognised high quality diagnostic tools to ensure that our report is recognised by your child’s school.
Prices for assessments and therapy vary from patient to patient depending on their assessment and diagnosis needs. Prices start at £360 for an initial consultation. For a full diagnostic assessment, prices start at £1,800 for a child, and £1,565 for an adult. For our most up-to-date prices please see our fees page here. We also offer payment instalment plans if requested.
The psychological assessment process usually takes place online. In-person meetings may take place in West Sussex, Surrey or Kent.
The assessment process usually takes place over the course of a few weeks.
The report includes detailed information about the assessment and diagnostic decision, as well as personalised recommendations for the child, family, and school.