Why choose Solihull Autism Assessment Service?
Our service offers a robust ASD assessment process, fully adhering to the guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England. In line with this, we use a multi-disciplinary team, meaning that we have the observations and perspectives from different professionals who can consider alternative explanations to ASD. Many services offer assessments completed by a single clinician, which does not offer the same level of objectivity as our assessments, which are completed by a team of clinicians from different professional backgrounds. All our clinicians are highly trained and competent specialists in the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, with a number of years of experience working with people with ASD in both the NHS and independent practice. This means that you can be wholly confident in the reliability of our assessment process and outcome. Further, the aim of our diagnostic assessments is not simply to confirm or deny Autism Spectrum Disorder for somebody; we provide a comprehensive assessment report which details each client's individual strengths and difficulties and gives thorough recommendations and sources of support as well as alternative explanations for difficulties if ASD is not diagnosed.
How can I be confident of the clinicians' skills and expertise?
All our clinicians are registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council, the independent body that regulates the work of healthcare professionals. They are also registered with their individual professional bodies, including the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists. These bodies set professional standards and keep a register of professionals who continue to meet these standards, evidenced by ongoing professional development. You can check the registration of our clinicians by visiting the HCPC website.
How long does the assessment take?
We aim to see clients for their first appointment within one month of an enquiry being made and it then takes up to six weeks to complete the diagnostic assessment and receive the full report. There are some exceptions to this; school holidays, for example, will cause a delay.
Do I have to attend an initial consultation if I'm sure I want to go ahead with the full diagnostic assessment?
Yes, we ask all clients (and their families if applicable) to attend an initial consultation with one of our Psychologists. The initial consultation is an opportunity for us to learn about each client's journey to us and reasons for assessment, to identify evidence for ASD, to consider whether a client can engage in the full assessment and to screen for alternative explanations of difficulties. It may be that the initial consultation does not reveal significant evidence of ASD or identifies difficulties not normally seen in ASD and so we can refer clients on to an alternative service without having to go through the full ASD assessment. It's also important to note that there is no obligation or commitment to continue with the full ASD assessment after an initial consultation.
Is a diagnosis from Solihull Autism Assessment Service recognised by schools, local authorities and NHS services?
There is no reason for any public or third sector service to disregard an independent assessment so long as it complies with relevant standards and clinical guidance, by appropriately clinically trained and experienced professionals; as ours is. However, we would always advise clients to verify this with their local relevant services prior to undertaking an assessment with us. To date, we have had no difficulties having our diagnoses accepted by public authorities and we would be happy to discuss this with outside agencies if our assessment outcome is challenged.
Do you accept NHS referrals for assessment?
As we are an independent service, we accept referrals from any source. However, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure that funding from the relevant NHS Trust or CCG is in place prior to arranging an assessment with our service. We do not proceed with the assessment until we have received the fee upfront.
Why do you not assess children under 7 years old?
Although there is some variability between services, we choose not to offer ASD assessments for children until they are at least 7 years old as difficulties they experience can be so changeable in the early years and misdiagnosis before this age is therefore much more of a risk. Up until this age, the NICE Guidelines recommend taking a 'watchful waiting' approach.
Do you diagnose PDA?
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is not currently a valid diagnosis in itself as it is not recognised in any of the validated diagnostic manuals. Although we may talk about a 'demand-avoidant profile' within ASD and can provide sources of support around this, we do not offer assessment and diagnosis service for PDA itself.
Do you diagnose ADHD?
We do not offer ADHD assessments as this is usually completed by a Psychiatrist or Paediatrician because the condition is usually treated medically. We do screen for ADHD and if we suspect that this may be part of a client's difficulties, we provide our recommendations for local services and clinicians who are able to offer the appropriate assessment and treatment. This is regardless of whether we diagnose ASD or not.
What are the advantages of an ASD diagnosis in adulthood?
The most common outcome we experience in giving an ASD diagnosis to an adult is the feeling of relief and understanding. After many years, often, of struggles with social interaction, relationships, behaviour and even mental health problems, clients given an ASD diagnosis as an adult often feel they have greater understanding and clarity about the the context of their difficulties. Having a good understanding of the condition also allows future planning and predicting obstacles, as well as planning how to overcome or manage them. Future support and interventions around any mental health or well-being difficulties can also be adapted to be more appropriate and suitable, making them more effective. On a practical level, with awareness of an ASD diagnosis, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to allow the employee to access their role and the workplace as fully as possible.
Our service offers a robust ASD assessment process, fully adhering to the guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England. In line with this, we use a multi-disciplinary team, meaning that we have the observations and perspectives from different professionals who can consider alternative explanations to ASD. Many services offer assessments completed by a single clinician, which does not offer the same level of objectivity as our assessments, which are completed by a team of clinicians from different professional backgrounds. All our clinicians are highly trained and competent specialists in the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, with a number of years of experience working with people with ASD in both the NHS and independent practice. This means that you can be wholly confident in the reliability of our assessment process and outcome. Further, the aim of our diagnostic assessments is not simply to confirm or deny Autism Spectrum Disorder for somebody; we provide a comprehensive assessment report which details each client's individual strengths and difficulties and gives thorough recommendations and sources of support as well as alternative explanations for difficulties if ASD is not diagnosed.
How can I be confident of the clinicians' skills and expertise?
All our clinicians are registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council, the independent body that regulates the work of healthcare professionals. They are also registered with their individual professional bodies, including the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists. These bodies set professional standards and keep a register of professionals who continue to meet these standards, evidenced by ongoing professional development. You can check the registration of our clinicians by visiting the HCPC website.
How long does the assessment take?
We aim to see clients for their first appointment within one month of an enquiry being made and it then takes up to six weeks to complete the diagnostic assessment and receive the full report. There are some exceptions to this; school holidays, for example, will cause a delay.
Do I have to attend an initial consultation if I'm sure I want to go ahead with the full diagnostic assessment?
Yes, we ask all clients (and their families if applicable) to attend an initial consultation with one of our Psychologists. The initial consultation is an opportunity for us to learn about each client's journey to us and reasons for assessment, to identify evidence for ASD, to consider whether a client can engage in the full assessment and to screen for alternative explanations of difficulties. It may be that the initial consultation does not reveal significant evidence of ASD or identifies difficulties not normally seen in ASD and so we can refer clients on to an alternative service without having to go through the full ASD assessment. It's also important to note that there is no obligation or commitment to continue with the full ASD assessment after an initial consultation.
Is a diagnosis from Solihull Autism Assessment Service recognised by schools, local authorities and NHS services?
There is no reason for any public or third sector service to disregard an independent assessment so long as it complies with relevant standards and clinical guidance, by appropriately clinically trained and experienced professionals; as ours is. However, we would always advise clients to verify this with their local relevant services prior to undertaking an assessment with us. To date, we have had no difficulties having our diagnoses accepted by public authorities and we would be happy to discuss this with outside agencies if our assessment outcome is challenged.
Do you accept NHS referrals for assessment?
As we are an independent service, we accept referrals from any source. However, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure that funding from the relevant NHS Trust or CCG is in place prior to arranging an assessment with our service. We do not proceed with the assessment until we have received the fee upfront.
Why do you not assess children under 7 years old?
Although there is some variability between services, we choose not to offer ASD assessments for children until they are at least 7 years old as difficulties they experience can be so changeable in the early years and misdiagnosis before this age is therefore much more of a risk. Up until this age, the NICE Guidelines recommend taking a 'watchful waiting' approach.
Do you diagnose PDA?
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is not currently a valid diagnosis in itself as it is not recognised in any of the validated diagnostic manuals. Although we may talk about a 'demand-avoidant profile' within ASD and can provide sources of support around this, we do not offer assessment and diagnosis service for PDA itself.
Do you diagnose ADHD?
We do not offer ADHD assessments as this is usually completed by a Psychiatrist or Paediatrician because the condition is usually treated medically. We do screen for ADHD and if we suspect that this may be part of a client's difficulties, we provide our recommendations for local services and clinicians who are able to offer the appropriate assessment and treatment. This is regardless of whether we diagnose ASD or not.
What are the advantages of an ASD diagnosis in adulthood?
The most common outcome we experience in giving an ASD diagnosis to an adult is the feeling of relief and understanding. After many years, often, of struggles with social interaction, relationships, behaviour and even mental health problems, clients given an ASD diagnosis as an adult often feel they have greater understanding and clarity about the the context of their difficulties. Having a good understanding of the condition also allows future planning and predicting obstacles, as well as planning how to overcome or manage them. Future support and interventions around any mental health or well-being difficulties can also be adapted to be more appropriate and suitable, making them more effective. On a practical level, with awareness of an ASD diagnosis, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to allow the employee to access their role and the workplace as fully as possible.
