Understanding the diagnosis pathway for your child
The journey to an autism diagnosis can often be complex and overwhelming, requiring a systematic approach and collaboration between various professionals. In this guide, we aim to provide you with a step-by-step overview of the diagnosis pathway to help you navigate the process with confidence and clarity.
1.
ADi-R with a clinician (up to 3 hours)
This is a developmental history interview which will focus on their early childhood between the ages of 4-5.
We will need one or both parents for this, it can be completed online if you wish, otherwise we will hold it in our Wimbledon Clinic.
2.
ADOS
The ADOS is a semi-structured activity based assessment administered by a trained clinician (up to 1.5 hours). Your child will be observed in our clinic, they do not need to bring anything or prepare for it. This will be recorded on a video camera so the multidisciplinary team can review it as part of their decision making process.
3.
School Phone Call
One of our clinicians will liaise with your child's school to collect information about their learning and behaviour. This will usually take 20 minutes of their time. We may need to arrange a school observation, this is at the discretion of the team. This will cost £300.
4.
Following the completion of the assessment, the multi-disciplinary team will meet to carefully consider all the information available and make a decision about whether your child does or does not meet the criteria for Autistic Spectrum Disorder. We will let you know the outcome of this meeting via a consensus call.
Multi-Disciplinary Team Discussion
5.
Clinical Report
This will usually take up to two weeks from the consensus call. You will be offered feedback appointment times when the report is sent through.
6.
Feedback Session
With the lead Clinical Psychologist to discuss the outcome of the report and their recommendations going forward.
On-going Support
We recognise that on-going support is a part of learning about and coping with a diagnosis.
Our collaborative approach here makes sure that we are able to give exceptional support for the spectrum of needs that Autism can present. Supporting children in education is our aim. We want to empower children to implement good autism practice strategies and embrace neuro-diversity, finding out their strengths. Our team has specific fields of expertise such as mental health, speech and language therapy, sensory issues or cognitive processing. We can support your child at school or at home to create a fulfilling and suitable environment.
Systemic Family Therapy
Autistic people often experience difficulty with knowing how to communicate with others, developing & maintaining friendships & relationships. They can also find it difficult to manage changes.
Clinical Psychology
Our psychologists are involved in our comprehensive autism diagnosis process. They recommend appropriate treatment programs, and support the process of evaluation, benchmarking and ongoing assessment.
Occupational Therapy
Adults presenting with Autism can struggle with Sensory overload. This can present in many ways, such as challenging behaviour, withdrawal and complete shutdown.
Educational Psychology
An educational psychologist helps adults aged 18-25 who need support.
We can assess your learning and emotional needs by observing and consulting with our multi-therapy team.
Speech & Language Therapy
Communication is one of the main areas of difficulty experienced by individuals on the Autistic Spectrum.
Speech and language therapy will be personalised for each client.
ASC Teacher
With many years experience teaching in an ASC specific school, a teacher will bring practical solutions to issues at home and at work. This can be implementing a plan for behaviour, coaching the whole family in a communication strategy.