Autism Assessment

It will be carried out over approximately a 4-week period with screening and report writing. There will be a 3 hour and a 2 hour appointment. You will also need some time to fill in forms. 

Yes. You will need to come in person for the 3 hour appointment. Face-to-face appointments increase the quality and validity of your assessment. We can meet for the second appointment online if yoiu wish.

It will involve direct assessment, asking questions and talking about your life and experiences, and asking other people who know you well to give some information (if available).

You will get the results within 2 weeks or earlier.

You will receive a draft report and request changes / corrections before the finalized report will be sent to you.

People usually go through a process to adapt to their diagnosis if they receive one. They may revisit and remember aspects of their life and what has been difficult. They will create a new story about their past and future. It will take time to develop more compassion and process any regrets. You can ask your psychologist for therapy and coaching to adapt to your diagnosis.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition and means the person has different preference and potential strengths and challenges in how they:

• Communication and interact with others 

• Think and behave

• Experience the world around them

• Express emotions   

• Their relationships

• Need for routine and predictability, sameness and structure

• Sensory differences: - Over or under-sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures, tastes, or smells - May seek or avoid certain sensory experiences

• Information processing: - Detail-focused thinking - May excel in remembering facts and patterns - Different ways of problem-solving - May need more time to process information.

• Autism is not an illness or disease - it is a different way of experiencing and interacting with the world

• Each autistic person is unique, with their own strengths and challenges

• Early recognition and appropriate support can significantly enhance the quality of life

• Many autistic individuals lead fulfilling lives and make valuable contributions to society.

ADHD, autism and learning disability are classed as a disability by UK law. If you are working you can apply for support from the government via access to work. You will still be the same person and it can give you opportunity to understand your life journey more fully and treat yourself with more compassionately. 

I can help clients apply for PIP by carrying out an assessment of independent living skills which provides detailed information about their support needs.

Your psychologist does not have any specialised training in sensory assessments. We can refer you to a specialist we work with. 

Undergoing assessment is a very individual decision and can have positives and negatives.

Positives:

• Enables identification of specific strengths and challenges

• Facilitates targeted intervention planning

• Supports the development of appropriate support and educational strategies

• Helps identify optimal learning environments

• Provides documentation for workplace accommodations

• Supports access to specialist interventions

• Validate lived experiences

• Enhances self-understanding

• Reduces self-blame for difficulties

• Provides a framework for understanding past experiences

• Helps develop a positive neurodivergent identity

• Supports family understanding and acceptance

• Informs healthcare providers about communication needs

• Supports the development of personalised coping strategies

• Facilitates appropriate sensory accommodations in healthcare settings

Negatives:

• Increased anxiety during the assessment process

• Emotional distress from detailed examination of difficulties

• Heightened self-consciousness about behaviours and interactions

• Potential impact on self-identity and self-concept

• Risk of internalising diagnostic labels

• Strain on family relationships during assessment period

• Possible stigmatisation following diagnosis

• Changes in how others perceive and interact with the individual

• Time-consuming assessment process

• Multiple appointments causing disruption to routine

• Financial implications if privately funded

• Energy-demanding nature of assessment sessions

• Risk of misdiagnosis if masking behaviours present and Potential overshadowing of co-existing conditions

• Challenges in accessing appropriate post-diagnostic support

• Difficulty processing and adjusting to diagnostic outcome

Note that these effects vary significantly between individuals, and many find the diagnostic process ultimately beneficial despite these challenges. 

All diagnostic assessment need to rule in or out alternative explanations and will assess the person's mental health and development.

If you book for an autism and ADHD assessment together less time is needed as your developmental history only has to be reviewed once and hence a discount is applied. Please speak to your psychologist.