

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ASD ASSESSMENT?
As NHS ASD teams struggle to meet increased demand with reduced resources, individuals and families have increasingly turned to independent providers to source assessments for themselves or their relatives. Doing so represents a financial and emotional risk, and for this reason it is important to understand what constitutes a valid, robust assessment of ASD.
​
The basic criteria were laid out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2011. Prior to this, individual clinicians could diagnose ASD on their own, without the need for multi-professional input or the use of standardised interviews and observational measures. NICE specified that multiple professionals with expertise in autism should conduct assessments and should include:
​
-
A comprehensive developmental and family history
-
The use of observational assessment using tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2).
-
Consideration of differential diagnoses such as ADHD, learning disabilities, or attachment difficulties
-
Consideration of a person's presentation in multiple contexts (home, school, employment)
​
​There are many excellent independent providers, but it is important to ensure that they work to NICE guidance so you can have faith in your assessment. Two consultant clinical psychologists undertake all of our assessments, with more than 50 years combined experience in working with and diagnosing people with neurodiversities. Our assessments are transparent and the reports are, where possible, tailored to the specific needs of the individual involved. Where our findings differ from the expectations of an individual or family, we take care to explain our reasoning and highlight areas for intervention on the basis of what he have discovered through our assessment.
​
OUR ASSESSMENTS
Developmental interview
Understanding the bigger picture.
We use standardised interviews as the 'backbone' of our ASD assessments, for both children and adults. Jonathan uses the DISCO for these assessments, and Simon uses the 3Di. These are internationally recognised, 'gold standard' measures that ensure that the assessment is rooted in a person's development and life history, rather than simply their current strengths and needs.


School Information
Understanding a child or young person in context.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are pervasive - they should be evident in all settings rather than just one or two. As they are primarily defined in terms of social difficulties it is essential to understand how a person interacts with their peers. Sometimes a staff interview is sufficient, but if not we will undertake a school observation to support our assessment of children and young people.
ADOS
Working directly with the person.
The latest edition of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) is the gold standard observational assessment tool for the identification of ASD. It combines interview questions and creative tasks to assess a person's social skills, emotional insight and creativity. It also allows the examiner to identify any repetitive interests or communication issues. Lauren, Simon and Jonathan have all been trained to use the ADOS-2.
