Autism Assessments
Multi-disciplinary autism assessment service for children, young people and adults.
Autism Assessments provides high quality autism assessments from the comfort of your own home. In offering remote appointments we are able to provide a nationwide autism assessment service. We can, in most circumstances, offer face to face appointments within the Merseyside and Cheshire areas. Please do get in touch to find out more.
Our Ethos
We are proud to provide progressive, neurodiversity affirmative autism assessments across the lifespan in a kind and respectful space.
Our approach is fully collaborative and informed by an understanding of neurodiversity and individual neurodivergence. We will support you every step of the way so that you and/or your child are aware of what is involved in the process. Autistic voice, culture, and identity is at the heart of everything we do. The process aims to recognise and identify autistic experience alongside celebrating and capitalising on strengths and individual qualities. This understanding is then used to better understand and inform any necessary support needs.
Assessments are bespoke to each person and their unique experiences and circumstances. They are conducted through detailed and collaborative clinical interviews and observations. Whilst clinicians are trained in a range of evidence-based assessment tools, it is recognised that these alone do not always recognise the diversity of autistic experience. As such, we also draw on autistic led research and publications. This is to ensure that all the ways in which autistic experience can present is captured and considered (such as masking).
Negative and medical model language is avoided. There is a focus on strength as well as difference and disability, e.g. in the areas of how someone prefers to communicate and relate to others, how they experience the world from a sensory perspective, their passions and interests, and thought processes.
​
At autism assessments we are committed to ensuring a thorough and considered assessment for our clients from all demographics. We have a special interest in autism in women and girls and have extensive experience in offering assessments to this population. NB: 'assessment' is used for clarity, however it is recognised that terminology is ever evolving and our process is seen as a collaborative exploration of identity.
About Us
We are a team of highly skilled clinicians with a combined 25 years' worth of experience in autism assessment and post diagnostic support. Our team is co-led by a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a Clinical Psychologist. Our team is registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Assessments are conducted in line with best practice guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Autism Assessments was founded in order to provide respectful, neurodiversity affirming autism assessments. The team are passionate about advocating for and providing strength based and trauma informed approaches that are respectful to neurodivergence, autistic differences and sensory processing differences.
The team have extensive experience in autism assessment and diagnosis. They are trained in 'standardised' autism assessment tools including the ADOS-2 (autism diagnostic observation schedule), ADI-r (autism diagnostic interview) and Autism Clinical Interview - Adults (ACIA). The team draw on their experience and clinical skills to meet individual needs, whilst also adhering to DSM-5 and NICE guidance in regard to autism assessment and diagnosis. This means that each assessment is bespoke, and accounts for the diversity of autistic experience.
Clinical leads have oversight of every child and adult seen by the service and are responsible for maintaining the high quality of the assessment process.
Assessment Process
What Can You Expect
Free Telephone Consultation
Once you have contacted us, we will aim to respond within two working days to set up an initial 20-minute screening call via telephone. This call is free. It serves as an opportunity for us to ascertain if we are the right service for you and for you to ask any questions you may have about the assessment process.
If we’ve established that we are the right fit for you, we will send over our terms and conditions for you to sign and proceed with booking your assessment appointments.
Your Appointments
Step 1: Questionnaires
Prior to your appointments, you will be sent some questionnaires and consent forms to complete. For children, we will also send their school a questionnaire to complete. Once all of this information has been returned we can then move forward with booking your appointments. NB: all forms of communication preferences are recognised and so written questionnaires can be adapted accordingly.
Step 2: Appointments
We will arrange two appointments. These are:
- a neurodevelopmental history gathering appointment. Here we gather detailed information pertaining to development and current presentation.
- a direct (observation) appointment. Here we meet with you (or your child) to explore social communication and other strengths and differences.
Adult clients can access both of these appointments virtually. Children under the age of 7 will access a face to face observation appointment (their history gathering appointment can be facilitated online with parent(s)).
​
Step 3: Multi-disciplinary team discussion
Following your direct appointments, the team will meet to discuss and review all information gathered, alongside the diagnostic criteria for autism (Diagnostic Statistical Manual, 5 DSM 5) to consider your information and whether this aligns with autistic experience. This team comprises of least 2 professionals from 2 different professional backgrounds (Clinical Psychologist and Speech and Language Therapist).
​​
Step 4: Outcome Appointment
The outcome of the assessment process will be shared with you and explained. Following this, you will be provided with a report which will include details regarding the assessment including the outcome.​
Assessment Cost
Our assessments are charged at a fixed rate of £2000.
This typically includes:
-
Review of any existing reports
-
Liaison with other professionals if this is necessary and/or appropriate
-
Information from school (for children)
-
Detailed and structured developmental history interview
-
Direct observation
-
Clinical interview to gather direct reports of lived experience
-
Feedback
-
Comprehensive multi-disciplinary report with recommendations
During the screening call you will be provided with an overview of topics covered in each session.
Will a private autism assessment be recognised?
Healthcare Settings
Autism Assessments follow NICE guidelines and all clinicians are trained and experienced in identifying autistic experience (having carried out thousands of autism assessments within NHS and private healthcare sectors across the UK). All clinicians within Autism Assessments adhere to the same standards of care and professional conduct as services within the NHS. Therefore an Autism Assessment outcome is as credible as an NHS assessment/diagnosis.
​
Education
There is no legal basis for a private autism assessment to be rejected by the local authority. Statutory government guidance (the SEND code of practice 2015) stipulates that the local authority should take into consideration evidence from clinicians and relevant health care professionals. Autism Assessments strictly adhere to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. We use an internationally recognised diagnostic criteria (DSM 5) when facilitating all of our clinical autism assessments. It would be suggestive that the local authority was breaching the SEND code of practice (2015) should it refuse to accept an assessment which followed these guidelines.
​
Contact Us
If you would like more information then please do not hesitate to contact
Either email at info@autismassessments.net or use the form below
