Assessments & Appointments
The Assessment Process
Prior to having a full assessment, we conduct a thorough screening appointment. This takes 90 minutes face to face/online and the completion of three questionnaires which we send to you in advance.
It’s not possible to give a diagnosis at the end of screening, the purpose is to see whether it is worth pursuing a full diagnostic assessment or not, and what type of assessment would best meet your needs. At the end we write a summary letter which can be used to aide an NHS referral via the GP- or to any other appropriate provider. There is no obligation to see us for a full assessment following the screening.
If a full assessment was recommended following the screening, this takes a full day and requires involvement with a friend or family member who knows the individual well. Typically, this would be a parent, but everyone’s situation is different. If there are any reports from mental health services or school, it would also be helpful to see these. At the end of the assessment, we write a thorough reports and recommendations. We can also arrange a feedback session if needed.
The Appointments
We appreciate that everybody has their own unique reasons for wanting to explore whether they may or may not be neurodivergent. Through our breadth of training along with personal and professional experience, we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment in which to explore your lived experience, whether this fits with diagnostic criteria (as it is currently defined by DSM-5 and ICD-11) and what your own unique profile of strengths and needs may be. We begin every assessment wanting to understand the questions people hold about themselves and their goals for the future to be able to tailor-make an assessment that meets your needs. We are accredited in the use of all the gold standard assessments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) along with more recently published tools.
Whilst we can’t explain in-depth the assessment content in advance, we will communicate the agenda for the day and what to expect. As much as possible we will structure the day around any routines you need to adhere to (for example the time of day you eat). We do ask you to elect an informant for us to speak with in regard to your everyday life. Classically this may be a parent who knows your early developmental history or a partner or close friend who sees you in multiple contexts. However, we appreciate that everybody’s life circumstances are different and therefore we would work with you to identify the person you feel would be able to give the most detailed information, alongside the information you share about yourself. Whether your informant attends with you on the day, attends the full assessment or only part of it, or whether they are spoken to on a separate occasion will be worked out with you in advance. It is a matter of personal choice and does not impact on the quality of the information we are able to explore with you.
The assessment consists largely of talking about your experiences in a structured way. There are no tricks and nothing is designed to catch you. We welcome questions and feedback about the process throughout the assessment. Our clinics have a range of stimming tools available, but you are welcome to bring anything with you that will aid your engagement in the session. Where possible we aim to give an outcome to the assessment on the day. If this is not possible, we will share with you the reasons and mutually agree the next steps needed to complete the assessment and a timescale for this. Once the assessment is completed, a short summary letter will be provided within a week of the assessment and a longer report prepared. This will be shared with you in draft format prior to it being finalised.