Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions, answered
Common questions about our autism and ADHD assessments, NHS Right to Choose, timelines, costs and ongoing support.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered
Please take a look at our frequently asked questions and do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any other questions for us.
Yes. We have NHS Standard Contracts with Devon ICB and Norfolk & Suffolk ICB to provide autism and ADHD assessments under Right to Choose. Please refer to our Right to Choose page for full details.
No. Any GP in England can refer to us for a Right to Choose assessment. However, you must be able to come to Norwich or Exeter for a face-to-face assessment, if this is required. Fully remote assessments are available. Please refer to our Right to Choose page for full details.
Our assessments are completed by appropriately qualified multidisciplinary professionals and follow NICE guidelines and recognised diagnostic standards.
Assessment reports can be used as supporting evidence when requesting Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), workplace adjustments, educational support, and other services.
The SEND Code of Practice states that local authorities "must not seek further advice if such advice has already been provided (for any purpose)" where the advice is considered sufficient for the assessment process. Our reports are designed to provide comprehensive, high-quality evidence that meets recognised professional standards.
Individual organisations and local authorities will make their own decisions regarding the evidence they require, but private reports should be considered on their merits rather than simply because they are privately funded.
We use multiple sources of information, including clinical interviews, developmental history, standardised assessment tools, questionnaires, observations, and information from relevant professionals and family members where appropriate. Diagnostic decisions are based on recognised diagnostic criteria and multidisciplinary clinical discussion, ensuring a thorough and evidence-based assessment process. We always send a draft copy of our report to you before finalising it, so you can be confident that we have not included any factual errors.
Yes. However, medication is not always suitable for everyone with ADHD. If you want to consider medication following a privately funded diagnosis with us, we can arrange this. Please refer to our Support page for information on medication titration.
If you received your diagnosis through another provider, we will first need to review the assessment report and diagnosis to determine whether we agree with the diagnosis, and that the assessment and report meet NICE Guidance and DSM-5 criteria. The cost of this assessment/report review is £500. There is no guarantee that we will be able to accept you onto our medication titration pathway.
If you are referred to us through Right to Choose, the assessment is free for you, as it is funded by the NHS. For privately funded assessments, payment is required at the time of booking.
We offer a range of payment plan options through our finance partner, including 0% finance (subject to eligibility).
Yes. We offer some free screening questionnaires on our website for you to use. These can help you decide whether a full diagnostic assessment may be beneficial. If you have completed these questionnaires, and you still are not sure, please email us and one of our clinicians can give you a call to discuss your needs further.
No. You can self-refer for a privately funded assessment. If you are using the Right to Choose scheme, your GP must make the referral. We will contact your child's school and GP for their input. However, we do not require their consent or a referral from them to assess your child privately. Parental consent (or someone with Parental Responsibility) is essential for anyone under the age of 16 years.
It is helpful, but not essential as we understand that this information may not be readily available. We use a range of assessment tools to help us obtain a comprehensive picture of you and always follow NICE Guidelines.
Our team consists of Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychiatrists, Paediatricians and Specialist Teachers. All clinical staff undergo enhanced DBS checks and are registered with the appropriate professional regulatory bodies, including the HCPC, NMC, and GMC.
Yes. We are proud to be registered with CQC and commit to providing care that is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
We typically see children aged 4 years and above for assessment, but we can see younger children if required. We may not formally diagnose a toddler, but we can assess them and provide recommendations and then review them when they are older to provide a formal diagnosis. If you are using NHS Right to Choose, we can see children aged 2-18 years for autism and 6-18 years for ADHD. A child aged under 5 years will need to be seen by a Community Paediatrician before we can assess them.
Our assessments are thorough and completed over several stages. This includes direct assessment, questionnaires, developmental history, information gathering from relevant sources, multidisciplinary clinical discussion, and personalised feedback. Most people complete the assessment process and receive their report within approximately six weeks of their initial assessment appointment.
Private assessment appointments are usually offered within 4 weeks. Under Right to Choose, waiting times vary depending on referral pathway and local NHS commissioning arrangements. Please contact us for the most up-to-date information about waiting times in your area.
We provide comprehensive multidisciplinary assessments that follow NICE guidelines and recognised best practice. Our assessments combine clinical expertise, standardised diagnostic tools, developmental history, and the individual's lived experience to build a detailed understanding of the whole person. Our reports are clear, comprehensive, and neurodiversity-affirming, with personalised recommendations tailored to home, education, work, and everyday life. We also provide ongoing support following diagnosis, including coaching, medication services, and practical guidance where appropriate. Many of our clinicians have lived experience of neurodiversity. We recognise neurodiversity as a natural variation in how people think, learn, communicate, and experience the world, while also acknowledging that many individuals benefit from support and reasonable adjustments.
Autism and ADHD can present differently across individuals, including many girls, women, and people who mask or camouflage their difficulties. Our clinicians are experienced in identifying a wide range of presentations and use multiple sources of information rather than relying solely on questionnaires or observable behaviours. We place significant importance on lived experience and explore masking, compensatory strategies, and individual differences as part of the assessment process.
We recognise a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance / Persistent Drive for Autonomy) profile. While PDA is not currently a separate diagnostic category within DSM-5 or ICD-11, we understand that some autistic individuals may present with this profile and we consider this when making recommendations and planning support.
Following the assessment, you will receive a feedback call from your Care Coordinator who will discuss the assessment outcome with you and practical next steps. Our reports contain detailed and personalised recommendations so you feel confident with your plan and next steps. You can learn more about our post-diagnostic services, including coaching, support planning, and ADHD medication services, on our Support page.
Following titration you may be able to access ongoing prescribing through your GP, but this is up to your GP, not us. We can request Shared Care with your GP, but they are under no obligation to agree to this. If your GP refuses, we can continue to prescribe your medication monthly. As a specialist provider, we will be responsible for carrying out your specialist medication review, which is annually for adults, 6 monthly for children aged 10-18, and every 3 months for children under 10.
Not everyone who seeks an assessment will meet the diagnostic criteria for autism or ADHD. Our aim is to help you better understand your profile, regardless of the outcome. We will explain our clinical reasoning, identify any strengths, differences, or areas of need, and provide recommendations where appropriate.
Yes. Many people experience both autism and ADHD. Where appropriate, we can assess for both conditions as part of a combined multidisciplinary assessment. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to explore how different neurodevelopmental traits interact and ensure both conditions are fully considered during the assessment process.
Yes. We provide autism and ADHD assessments for both children and adults. Our assessment process is tailored to the individual's age, circumstances, and support needs.
Our reports are completed by appropriately qualified professionals and follow NICE guidelines and recognised diagnostic standards. They can be used to support requests for reasonable adjustments, workplace accommodations, educational support, and other services. Individual organisations will make their own decisions regarding the evidence they require.
Yes. Many people find it helpful to have a parent, partner, family member, friend, or other supporter involved in parts of the assessment process. We will discuss what is most appropriate for your individual assessment.
We aim to make assessments as accessible and comfortable as possible. Reasonable adjustments may include remote appointments, additional breaks, written information, adapted communication methods, sensory considerations, and flexibility around appointment arrangements. Please let us know about any adjustments that would help you participate fully.
Yes. Many assessments can be completed remotely using secure video technology. In some circumstances, we may recommend or require a face-to-face appointment as part of the assessment process. We will discuss the most appropriate option with you.
Our assessments focus on understanding the whole person rather than simply identifying diagnostic criteria. We consider strengths, differences, lived experience, support needs, and day-to-day functioning. Our goal is to promote self-understanding, informed choice, and access to appropriate support.
For most people, receiving an autism or ADHD diagnosis does not negatively affect their driving licence, employment, education, or future opportunities.
You do not need to inform the DVLA about an autism diagnosis alone. If you have ADHD, you only need to inform the DVLA if your symptoms affect your ability to drive safely. Further guidance is available from the DVLA.
Many people find that receiving a diagnosis helps them access reasonable adjustments, support, and a better understanding of their needs at work, in education, and in everyday life.
Insurance providers, employers, universities, and other organisations may have their own policies, so we recommend checking directly with them if you have specific concerns. If you have questions about how a diagnosis may affect your individual circumstances, our team will be happy to discuss this with you.
Many autistic and ADHD individuals develop strategies to compensate for or hide their difficulties, particularly girls, women, and those diagnosed later in life. Our assessment process considers masking, camouflaging, and coping strategies, and we place significant importance on your lived experience rather than relying solely on observable behaviours.