Staged Assessment Process & Fees

Adult and Child Pathways

All of our assessments are split into separate stages designed to provide clarity and individualised care. It also allows you to pay for your assessment in stages if you wish.

As a responsible provider, this approach ensures that clients only progress through assessment stages that are suitable for their needs, where diagnosis is a likely outcome.

Phase 1 additionally provides valuable insight for clinicians to tailor any further stages of the assessment.

"We offer competitive, transparent fees that reflect the time, care, and expertise required for comprehensive, NICE compliant assessments."

Our assessments include detailed evaluation, use of gold-standard tools, and thorough reporting. We prioritise accuracy and clinical quality, ensuring sufficient time is taken to reach meaningful and reliable diagnostic outcomes. This ensures your diagnostic outcome is routinely recognised by third-parties.

Phase 1
Initial Assessment

The first stage of your diagnostic journey begins with an appointment with one of our Clinical Psychologists. This appointment focuses on understanding your background, current concerns and relevant developmental, health and personal history.

This helps our clinical team ensure that you are progressing along the most appropriate diagnostic pathway and identify any recommendations, adaptations or additional components that may be helpful as part of your assessment.

Where a full diagnostic assessment may not be the most appropriate next step, this stage also provides an opportunity to receive informed professional advice, recommendations or signposting without committing to the full cost of an assessment.

Phase 2a
Observational Assessment

The next stage of the assessment focuses on observation for both children and adults attending phase 2.

For ADHD assessments, this includes a computerised test of attention, activity and impulse control, known as QbCheck.

For autism assessments, this usually includes a structured observational assessment, such as the gold standard assessment tool ADOS-2, which explores aspects of social communication, interaction and behaviour. You may also opt to include a school observation for primary aged children.

At this stage we also collect additional background history e.g. medical records, informant questionnaires, school history.

Phase 2b Clinical Interview

The final stage of the assessment focuses on bringing together a detailed understanding of your current presentation and developmental history, alongside all of the background information gathered throughout your assessment. This forms part of our multidisciplinary team approach.

We use established, evidence-based diagnostic assessment tools, such as the ADI-R for autism and ACE for ADHD, to inform this stage of the assessment.

This includes a comprehensive clinical interview, alongside the review, discussion and interpretation of information gathered by other members of the team. Where appropriate, information from parents, partners, school or other relevant sources will also be considered.

All available information is then triangulated by the clinical team to inform the diagnostic outcome and recommendations.

Combined Assessment Discounts

Assessment discounts available for combined ADHD and autism assessments. We also offer an Early Booking discount.

Finer Details

Assessment Information

Phase 1

Purpose:
Phase 1 is the first part of your assessment pathway. It is designed to develop an initial clinical understanding of your current concerns and relevant background history, and to consider whether the pathway you have chosen, for example autism or ADHD, appears appropriate.

Where there are indications that both autism and ADHD may be relevant, the Clinical Psychologist may advise you to consider a combined assessment so that both possibilities can be explored within the same diagnostic process.

Phase 1 also gives you the opportunity to receive informed professional advice before committing to the full cost of a diagnostic assessment. This may include recommendations about the most appropriate pathway, helpful adaptations, additional assessment components, alternative explanations to consider, or signposting to other services where relevant.

Process:

You will complete initial questionnaires before your appointment.
A Clinical Psychologist will review this information and meet with you to explore your history and current presentation in more detail.
We will consider whether you are on the most appropriate diagnostic pathway and identify any adaptations, additional assessment components or alternative recommendations that may be helpful.
If you progress to Phase 2, the information gathered during Phase 1 will continue forward and form part of your full diagnostic assessment.

Phase 1 does not provide a definitive diagnostic outcome. A formal diagnosis can only be considered once the relevant components of the full diagnostic assessment have been completed and the information has been reviewed and integrated by the clinical team during Phase 2.

The Clinical Psychologist will also consider whether progressing to a full diagnostic assessment appears clinically appropriate. This allows us to offer advice at an earlier stage and, where a full assessment is unlikely to be the most appropriate next step, may help you avoid unnecessary additional costs.

Phase 2: Full Diagnostic Assessment

Purpose:
Phase 2 provides the full diagnostic assessment required to reach a formal diagnostic conclusion. Our assessments are comprehensive, multidisciplinary and include significant in-person clinical contact.

Phase 2 is divided into two parts:

Stage 2A: Observational Assessment
This stage focuses on direct observation and structured assessment.

For ADHD assessments, this includes a computerised assessment of attention, activity and impulse control, such as QbCheck.
For autism assessments, this usually includes a structured observational assessment such as the ADOS-2.
Questionnaires and relevant information from other sources are also reviewed as part of this stage.

Stage 2B: Clinical Assessment and Diagnostic Formulation
This stage brings together your developmental history, current presentation and all information gathered throughout the assessment.

A detailed clinical interview is completed using established diagnostic assessment tools, such as the ADI-R for autism or ACE for ADHD.
Information gathered by different members of the clinical team is reviewed, discussed and interpreted.
Where appropriate, information from parents, partners, schools or other relevant sources is also considered.
All available information is then triangulated by the clinical team to inform the diagnostic conclusion and recommendations.

The exact assessment process may vary depending on the type of assessment and the age and individual needs of the person being assessed. Our assessment pathways are designed to align with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and recognised clinical practice.

A comprehensive written report is provided following completion of the assessment, including the clinical rationale for the diagnostic conclusion and personalised recommendations.

Important information about Phase 2

Following Phase 1, we will confirm the recommended Stage 2 assessment pathway and any additional components that may be clinically helpful. This allows us to tailor the assessment to individual need and helps avoid clients paying for components that are not required.

We recognise that clients understandably want clarity about costs before beginning an assessment, and our standard assessment fees are published in advance. Where additional components are recommended, these will be discussed with you before they are added.

When comparing assessment providers, it can be helpful to consider not only cost, but also the scope of the assessment, the level of direct clinical contact, the professionals involved, and whether the assessment follows recognised clinical guidance.

Our assessments are designed to provide a robust clinical rationale and comprehensive report that can be shared, with your consent, with relevant health, education and care professionals e.g. the NHS and local authorities.

Accepting new clients.

No waiting lists.

Appointments within days.

Delays in accessing assessment and support are known to impact quality of life, limit opportunities, and affect mental health. For this reason, we prioritise providing timely assessments. Always.