Child Autism Assessment & Diagnosis
What Does an Autism Assessment at ClinPsych Consulting involve?
Whether your child is on the Autism or the combined Autism/ADHD assessment pathway, an assessment comprises a structured observation of, and interaction with, the child in the clinic and includes an interview about emotions, social difficulties & annoyances, and friends & relationships; an informant reported developmental history; and if needed an observation of the child in school alongside their peers. When assessing young people, it is important that they are seen on multiple occasions and in diverse settings. A school observation can be an important differential when it comes to the outcome of an assessment.
This assessment process ensures a holistic understanding of the child’s strengths and challenges and is designed to provide valuable insights into their unique profile, aiding in the development of targeted strategies and interventions for optimal support whether an Autism diagnosis is given or not.
An Autism assessment will usually follow the below steps:
Part 1 – Initial screening:
This is an initial screening assessment to help establish whether it is appropriate for the individual to undergo full diagnostic assessment. It is a general neurodevelopmental screen meaning that Autism as well as ADHD can be considered, as needed. Consideration will also be given to mental health. The initial assessment usually comprises of an appointment lasting up to 1.5 hours during which the clinician will explore the presenting issues and conduct a concise developmental history. If required, screening measures will be administered.
As part of this assessment, the clinician will discuss with you whether to progress to a full diagnostic testing. You will then need to confirm whether you wish to proceed to step 2 of the assessment.
Part 2 – Full diagnostic assessment:
This is the diagnostic part of the assessment process. It will usually comprise of a clinic-based appointment where standardised tests are completed using ‘gold standard’ diagnostic tools. Our part 2 assessments will involve a multidisciplinary team in order that professionals can agree on a diagnosis.
Assessments are paced to the individual and rest breaks will be given where needed. Where children are concerned, the assessment process will usually involve a combination of parent/carer and child participation. Part 2 of the assessment process usually takes up to 4 weeks to complete.
The composition of assessments varies between clients, including some or all of the following:
Assessment of communication and social interaction (ADOS-2 or MIGDAS-2)
Assessment of skills for daily living (Vineland or ABAS)
Structured in-depth developmental history (ADI-R)
Assessment of general intellectual functioning (WASI, WISC or WAIS)
School-based observations
Review of existing professional reports (if available)
Booking an appointment
Should you want to discuss our assessment offerings in more depth please contact us.
Occasionally, additional assessment components may be required. In this case, any additional costs will be discussed with you.
For more information about the assessments costs please go to fees.
