Frequently asked questions

Your initial assessment is where your diagnostic journey begins. It's an opportunity for you to meet with our team and for us to understand your individual needs and experiences. This helps us to personalise your diagnostic assessment. Perhaps you have sensory processing challenges? We may then suggest including an Occupational Therapist in your team.

We are committed to responsible healthcare. This initial consultation ensures that pursuing a diagnostic assessment is the most appropriate path for you and provides you with the time to consider and prepare for potential challenges along the way. We aim to empower you throughout this process.

There is no obligation to pursue a full diagnostic assessment with us, even if this is suggested during the initial assessment. All clients will receive an initial assessment feedback report following their initial assessment, provided by a fully qualified clinical psychologist.

• Currently we assess children aged 8 and over for ADHD, and adults.
• We assess children for autism who can communicate verbally, and adults.

There are three possible outcomes to our assessments:

Diagnosis: An official diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD, based on DSM-5 criteria and founded on a gold-standard assessment that aligns with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

Differential Diagnosis: There is a clear lack of evidence to support the presence of ASD and/or ADHD. Instead, there is stronger evidence to support an alternative explanation for the experiences described.

Inconclusive: There is a lack of sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD. This may be due to difficulties obtaining enough information to confidently determine a positive diagnosis, or to exclude a diagnosis at the time of assessment. Further re-evaluation at an appropriate time in the future may be suggested, or an alternative pathway considered.

Even if your symptoms do not meet the threshold for a formal diagnosis, your report will detail your strengths and concerns to aid self-understanding and communication with others. We may offer a differential diagnosis that better explains your experiences.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015) states that local authorities cannot reject a professional assessment or diagnostic report from a private source. This means that it is unlawful for a third party to deny services on the basis that the diagnosis was obtained through a private provider.

A third party may, however, refuse to recognise a private diagnosis if the quality or credibility of the assessment process is questionable. Therefore, it is important to select a private provider who meets regulatory standards.

From a quality perspective, our assessments align with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) best practice guidance and conform to the standards set out by NHS England. This represents the gold standard level of assessment. You will receive a comprehensive report that provides a full clinical rationale for your diagnostic outcome and a detailed account of the assessment components undertaken to reach that diagnostic decision. There will be no grounds for challenge based on the quality of the assessment. In the rare event that you find your diagnosis challenged, we would be able to successfully support you in challenging any third party who does not automatically recognise your diagnosis.

Our assessments have the following strengths:

• Qualifications: Our doctors are fully qualified clinical psychologists recognised as appropriately skilled to lead and diagnose ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) within the context of a multidisciplinary service.

• Specialised Training: Our doctors have advanced training in diagnostic assessments for ASD and ADHD.

• Multi-Disciplinary Approach: Diagnoses are made within a multi-professional team, enabling consultation on complex cases with clinicians from other professional backgrounds.

• ASD Assessment: All autism assessments include a speech and language therapist as part of the clinical team as standard.

The treatment you receive through the NHS after diagnosis will depend on your individual circumstances. For example, if you are already under the care of a Community Mental Health Team, they should recognise your diagnosis and adjust your interventions accordingly. If you are not currently under a secondary care mental health service, you will still need a referral from your GP to psychiatric services, and this may involve a waiting period, regardless of your official diagnosis.

Many non-medical interventions for ADHD and ASD are often provided by charities. We will provide you with information about these organisations, which you can access once you have received your diagnosis.

You may be able to access medication privately after you receive an ADHD diagnosis. Sometimes, NHS GPs may agree to continue prescribing medication regularly through a shared-care agreement with your private doctor. It's important to discuss this with your GP to determine if this is an option for you.

An ADHD diagnostic assessment does not determine whether medication is suitable for you. Following a diagnosis, we will need to conduct a further medical evaluation to ensure medication is appropriate.

If you wish to pursue medical treatment, we will arrange for you to be assessed by our GMC-registered clinical partner for your medication assessment.

This medical assessment may include:

• Height and weight measurements
• Review of your medical history
• Blood pressure check
• Additional blood tests (if necessary)
• ECG (if necessary)

The medical assessment and initial medication titration will cost approximately £450. Additional tests (blood tests, ECG) may incur extra charges. Your NHS GP may be willing to conduct these blood tests and ECG upon our recommendation.

Once you have started medication, monthly titration appointments and blood pressure submissions will be required to monitor and optimise treatment until it is stable. Medication management appointments are approximately £95 per month.

The average monthly medication cost through a recommended third-party pharmacy, with next-day delivery via DPD, is approximately £65.

A private diagnosis does not guarantee treatment on the NHS, so you should be prepared to manage the ongoing monthly prescription costs. However, many of our clients find their GPs may be willing to enter into a shared-care agreement with the private psychiatrist and take over the issuing of repeat prescriptions. As NHS Trust policies and individual GP practices vary, we strongly recommend discussing this possibility with your GP.

• Streamlined medical asssessment and prescription services with our clinical GMC-registered partner
• Post-diagnostic psychoeducation sessions
• A comprehensive diagnostic report with tailored recommendations
• Signposting/referral
• Psychological Therapies
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy Sensory Assessment and Support
• Guidance about working with schools and the local authority for getting education, health and care needs recognised in a formal capacity
• Certification of your diagnosis and recommendations for adjustments to third-party organisations (e.g. Higher education (Universities), schools, the local authority, NHS, the department of work and pensions e.g. disability allowance/PIP applications).

• This will depend on the type of assessment. For more information please contact us for our assessment leaflets.

• Once all components of your assessment have been completed we aim to write the report and feedback this to you in 6 weeks.
• In some cases at the feedback meeting we may need to request to extend your assessment, or seek further information from you if we have been unable to formally conclude on your diagnostic outcome.

• Information from childhood is a crucial part of your developmental history, however we appreciate that adults may not always have access to a person from their childhood or items such as school reports. 
• It is not essential to have a childhood informant, however providing a good childhood history will help to avoid an inconclusive outcome to your diagnostic assessment. It may also be helpful to have a partner or close confidant take part in your assessment so that perspectives can be gained from other parties.
• Sometimes parents can contribute to the assessment through questionnaires if this is a suitable option for you.

• Unfortunately we do not offer payment plans.

• We are based in Sutton Coldfield. Upon request some appointments can take place over video, however some parts of the assessment may require you to travel to clinic. This will depend on the type of assessment you are undertaking. 

• No we do not operate a waiting list. Once you have decided to pursue an assessment with us we will be able to schedule your appointments immediately.

• Being psychology-led, our team are expertly positioned to understand the nuances of autism and ADHD presentations in females. All of our assessments are grounded in psychological theory, allowing us to effectively understand clients who may mask traits or compensate for some of their symptoms.

• While we understand the value of a formal diagnosis, our assessments and reports take a neuro-affirmative approach, contextualising your individual experiences. A neuro-affirmative report views neurological differences like autism and ADHD as natural variations within human experience, rather than deficits. We focus on your strengths, preferred learning styles, and the support you need, using respectful, person-first language throughout. We acknowledge sensory and processing differences, encourage self-advocacy, and work collaboratively with you and your support network to promote well-being and create inclusive environments. Our approach celebrates neurodiversity and avoids deficit-based models.