ASD Assessments
We would like to explain to you further how we conduct ASD assessments for children and adolescents as it is slightly different from the regular general mental health assessment.
We assess children and Adolescents for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) utilizing the gold standard Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). The ADI-R is a structured interview conducted with caregivers or parents of individuals suspected of having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ADI-R is considered one of the gold standard tools for diagnosing ASD, as it provides a comprehensive assessment of the individual’s behavior, communication skills, and social interactions.
The assessment is divided into 3 steps:
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First appointment (60 min)
Your chosen psychiatrist will meet the child or adolescent and their parents. This first appointment will be a starting point for the psychiatrist to get to know you. Among other questions, the psychiatrist may ask you about your current difficulties, what triggered you to request the assessment, and the exploration of other comorbid symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and depression.
If during this first appointment with the psychiatrist, there is a clear indication that the symptoms you present are a consequence of another condition and not ASD, then you will be given the option to discontinue the ASD assessment. You will also be given the opportunity to be treated for the newly assessed diagnosis. -
Second appointment (90 min)
I there is enough evidence that the child may have autistic traits after the first appointment, a second appointment will be arranged with the child’s parents to conduct the ADI-R assessment.
At this point, if deemed necessary, the psychiatrist may also distribute screening questionnaires to the patient, addressing common coexisting conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. -
Third appointment (30-45 min)
A third and final appointment will be scheduled with both the child/adolescent and the parents.
In this last session, your psychiatrist will provide you with full feedback, will be able to answer any questions you may have, and will send you the comprehensive report of the assessment.
The psychiatrist will also discuss with you the different treatments available for the potential comorbid conditions (anxiety, depression, etc.) as well as therapeutic options for the core symptoms of ASD.
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We aim to complete the assessment within 2-4 weeks. Nevertheless, the duration of the ASD assessment can vary significantly mainly depending on the complexity of the assessment.
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This is a very comprehensive assessment with a total of 4 hours. The hourly fee is 400 GBP, therefore the assessment has a total fee of 1600 GBP. As mentioned above, this total fee includes the three appointments (four hours in total), the questionnaires and their revision, and a comprehensive report.
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Prior to the ADI-R assessment, we suggest that all parents review videos or photos of their child between the ages of 3 and 5, as the semi-structured interview will center around that period.
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If the assessing psychiatrist does not detect enough ASD traits during the initial appointment to warrant further assessment, you will be given the choice to opt out and halt the assessment. If that is the case, a refund of the appointments that did not take place can be requested.
Nevertheless, if desired, the assessment can proceed, and the ADI-R can be conducted.
We also assess adults for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) utilizing the gold standard Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). The ADI-R is a structured interview conducted with caregivers or parents of individuals suspected of having ASD. ADI-R is considered one of the gold standard tools for diagnosing ASD, as it provides a comprehensive assessment of the individual’s behavior, communication skills, and social interactions.
The assessment is divided into 3 steps:
-
First appointment (60 min)
In the first appointment, your chosen psychiatrist will meet you. This first appointment will be a starting point for the psychiatrist to get to know you. Among other questions, the psychiatrist may ask you about your current difficulties, what triggered you to request the assessment, and the different symptoms you struggle with that may infer an ASD diagnosis. The psychiatrist may also ask you about your behaviour and the difficulties that you experienced as a child.
If during this first appointment with the psychiatrist, there is a clear indication that the symptoms you present are a consequence of another condition and not ASD, then you will be given the option to discontinue the ASD assessment. You will also be given the opportunity to be treated for the newly assessed diagnosis. -
Second appointment (90 min)
After the initial appointment, the adult’s parents will be asked to arrange for a session with the psychiatrist to conduct the ADI-R assessment. At this point, if deemed necessary, the psychiatrist may also distribute screening questionnaires to the adult patient, addressing common coexisting conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
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Third appointment (45 min)
A third and final appointment will be scheduled with the adult patient. In this last session, your psychiatrist will provide you with full feedback, will be able to answer any questions you may have, and will send you the comprehensive report of the assessment. The psychiatrist will also discuss with you the different treatments available for the potential comorbid conditions (anxiety, depression, etc.) as well as therapeutic options for the core symptoms of ASD.
-
We aim to complete the assessment within 2-4 weeks. Nevertheless, the duration of the ASD assessment can vary significantly mainly depending on the complexity of the presentation.
-
This is a very comprehensive assessment with a total of 4 hours. The hourly fee is 400 GBP, therefore the assessment has a total fee of 1600 GBP. As mentioned above, this total fee includes the three appointments (four hours in total), the questionnaires and their revision, and a comprehensive report.
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If the parents or caregivers are unavailable for the autism assessment, we can still arrange an ASD assessment for you. In this case, however, we will not be able to complete the gold standard assessment with the ADI-R. If this is your case and you wish to be assessed for ASD, please let us know when booking.