Hi.
This may have already been covered at some point in the past but had my referral through this weekend they are recommending a full assessment via healios as they are rammed with cases and recent events.
has anyone gone through this process before and was it a comfortable process?
reading the letter my heart started going and felt nervous as it suddenly seems very real.
I am going to do it as will confirm a lot for me. Any advice appreciated.
My third assessment went well but brought up a lot of bad memories of bullying I suffered growing up. The lady was very nice and helped me through it. Talking about it all made me realise there have been signs that have never picked up on over the years such as clothing.
I never really thought about it but she asked bout how I feel bout materials against my skin and it occurred to me that I buy t shirts and jumpers 1 or 2 sizes too big as I get on edge because I feel I can’t move and if it’s tight I almost panic and can’t wear it. I always buy the same style of clothes and types of food and drink and go same routes and same fuel station...., patterns I was not aware of.
the 5 items... epic fail! I burst out laughing when she started using her teaspoon as a wizard. It seemed so odd.. and the frogs.... I said they can’t drive... couldn’t do it lol.
That’s great news on your first 2 assessments. Healios do seem to be on the ball once they’ve received a referral. I was shockingly bad at the story (frogs on flying lily pads) and totally didn’t get what to do with my 5 items. Just to warn you (not to scare) the 3rd assessment is lengthy and required a lot of concentration. It’s about 80 questions/statements (& you rate each question as to whether you experience it or have experienced it). The lady who was taking me through this assessment was really nice, explained things in as much detail as was needed for me to understand and allowed me breaks (and I took a lot of them!) whenever I needed them. It sounds quite hardcore, especially in it’s length, but I found this much easier than my first two assessments as I was dealing in fact. Let us know how you get on!
In the space of a month I have been referred and had 2 assessments this morning and have the long one in the morning.
A very nice lady took me through it firstly then q&a and games. The story part of games I just couldn’t do and struggled being creative with objects. A mug is for drinking lol not imaginiatory play.
I am based in Hampshire.
I waited a year and nhs offered me a referral and within a month am having assessments done.
That was probably me, I’m Hampshire. I waited a year for correspondence from my local Autism care clinic who then wrote to me saying that for speed they would be signposting me to Healios. Within about a month I’d had my 3 assessments, diagnosis and feedback session (what a whirlwind that was). They were excellent in their support. I hope you both get your assessments through soon!
Hi Jd, I had an assessment referral a few months ago, pre lockdown. At the time they were predicting at least 20 months before an appointment date. I had already read about Healios on here so I have asked my GP to be referred there instead. I'm still waiting for a response. What area are you in? I'm in Berkshire. I read someone in Hampshire got referred, but I know our wonderful NHS is more "regional" than "National"!
Hi Jd!
HEALIOS ASSESSMENT
(I apologise but I’ve just cut and pasted my initial thread)
Hi everyone!
I just thought I’d share my online ASD assessment journey through Healios in the hope some may find it useful.
I was referred to my local NHS (please support in current climate!) Autism Assessment unit over a year ago. Roughly 4 weeks ago I received a letter through the post saying that due to the high demand for referrals they were signposting me to Healios for my assessments which would be online. *gulp!*.
1 week later I received an email from Healios that my first 2 assessments would be the following Thursday & then the RAADs assessment the Thursday after that. Wow, that all happened very quick! The email gave me detailed information on how to set up my account, the online process & what I needed to do prior to the appointments (how to set up the video link etc) another big thumbs up. I sent a number of emails to clarify certain points & these were all answered within 1 1/2 hours, impressive.
NOW the panic set in, big style!
Thursday came & I was easily able to connect with the Healios clinicians. The assessments themselves were painful (1 developmental history, 1 observation), I felt rather stupid and words didn’t come easily. The clinician was very supportive & allowed me breaks as & when I needed them. It’s worth noting that one of my sensory overload problems is noise. To begin with the clinician was clattering on her computer keyboard, I told her that the was bothering me & after a brief re-think from her she was able to resolve this. I finished the assessments.
A week later I had the RAADs appointment. Again it was easy to connect & the clinician was supportive. I don’t think I’ve ever answered so many questions in 2 1/2 hours. Finally it came to an end *BIG phew*. She told me that the disciplinary team were meeting this week and yesterday I received a very comprehensive report & my diagnosis of autism. I also had an online feedback session where I could ask & clarify some points.
Although the assessments were really difficult mentally I was very impressed with the service start to finish. From being on a waiting list for a year suddenly I had my assessments & diagnosis in just under 3 weeks! Online assessments aren’t right for everyone but for me it worked really well. I think more and more local NHS authorities are ‘sub-contracting’ these online clinicians due to an overwhelmed service.
If anyone has ANY questions about this online experience send me a message & I’ll do my best to answer.
A great service & now I’m starting to explore my diagnosis.
