Recommendations for private autism assessments needed please!

I approached them in May this year, filled all the forms out and arranged my appointments in Sept for early Oct. I did the 3 assessment/appointments over 3 consecutive weeks, each session was 60-90 mins

Hi there, yes they send through a lot of questionairres before the assessments (before you even  pay to be assessed, so I guess if you don't 'qualify' through the pre assessment-assessment bits then they don't really do the main assessment) and also do a family/parent developmental history pre assessment bit. So they have all that information before the interview section.

I think my actual assessment thing took 3 hours maybe, I am not sure. You don't have to do the weird frog book thing that I kept hearing about, it was more interview style (I know there is a name for the method and I don't remember what it is called now!) but I think a lot of it is history and life experience based with questions in there that are meant to see how your brain deals with uncertain situations (I don't know how to explain that better). For instance, I find it hard to answer a question that is 'what would you do in x situation' if I haven't been in it before and I don't understand why it (even hypothetically) would happen and I don't have all the information that I need.

So, long story short, yes I do think it was quite thorough, though I do also guess the reasons why you are looking into oficial diagnosis and your general history could require an even more multistage assessment with the practical tests (I have quite a long history of mental health stuff, eating disorders, doctors questioning bpd etc etc) so it may have made my (eventual) diagnosis easier.

Thanks for the info Catlover? Please coudl you let me know where you got assessed? 

Thanks for the info Starfox! I've taken a look at Dr Connor's website. I noticed the assessment doesn't seem as comprehensive as the other providers, e.g. it doesn't mention any questionaires and the initial assessment only takes 2.5 hours. Do you feel you got a thorough assessment? 

Thanks for the info!

Thanks for the info!

Hi Kerrie, thanks for the info! How long did you have to wait for your assessment and how long did the assessment take? Thanks :) 

community.autism.org.uk/.../i-keep-on-chew-things

I used Dr Louise Connor, she was very nice and asked me questions that in years of therapy etc nobody had ever thought to ask, and was understanding about how nervous (like throwing up the day before/not sleeping for ages) nervous I was, so could look into her also she seems to have some good understanding of Autism in women which was another plus point from me

I used Embrace Autism https://embrace-autism.com/ , and I would strongly recommend them. They are based in Canada but offer virtual assessments, which are accepted in the UK. The assessor, Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht, is herself autistic, so has first-hand experience of what being an autistic woman is like. She made me feel very at ease during the assessment.

The first part of the assessment was a screening, which consisted of around 5 psychometrics, plus a questionnaire which focuses on autistic traits, both now and in childhood. The questions are closely aligned with the DSM V criteria. This stage took around 2 months.

The results of the screening suggested that I was likely autistic, and so I was invited to a full assessment. This involved another 5 or so psychometrics, plus another questionnaire which focused on life experiences including employment, family and relationships. Although they did not ask for my medical records, they did ask some medical questions, such as 'what medication are you currently taking?'. I was also invited for a 45 minute interview, which used the ADOS, and which was a very relaxed process. I was told during the interview that I was autistic (and dyspraxic), and was sent a formal report around 2 weeks later. I had the opportunity to ask any questions that I had. This stage took around 4 months. 

For both the screening and assessment stages, you can go at your own pace when it comes to completing the questionnaires and psychometrics.

There is also an option to have your diagnosis verified by a medical doctor (at an additional cost), but I didn't opt for that so can't comment on what that is like.

All of the staff that I interacted with during the assessment process were very helpful and empathetic.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

Same.

Hi, yes it is accepted in the NHS. If you take a look at their website you’ll find a lot of really helpful information about this.

I used Psychiatry uk. Private assessment paid for by nhs under right to choose. 

Thank you both, this is really helpful!

Anyone who is qualified to diagnose autism will give you a report which is accepted anywhere and everywhere. There is no distinction. And you decide if you want your GP to have a copy of a private report. 

I'm not 100% sure so I wouldn't like to say. I can say that they write a letter to your GP and my GP has accepted it with no issue. I would send them an email with any questions, they're very friendly and responsive. Their website is also very informative 

Hi Kerrie, do you happen to know if this practice provide diagnosis accepted by the NHS in the UK? They sound interesting and would like to know more.

Hi, I've just had my assessment with The Adult Autism Practice. It was all conducted online and they specialise in adults (obviously by the name) but also women, which was a big draw for me. I believe they use DSM 5 & ICD 11 assessment tools but they do everything else in the list. It was a great experience with them and I'd definitely recommend them

You should be ensuring that the assessor is qualified to make a diagnosis first and foremost.
Then, have they got a good track record? Do they specialise in Autistic adults? And in females specifically? Does the clinician have autism as a special interest for example?

My assessment involved several questionnaires, a complete psychometric testing session, observation, an in depth interview, and after the final report, another meeting. I’d provided them with a complete breakdown of my problems, childhood and sensory issues, along with written reports from several family members and my ex partner.

Hi,

The only private service I know of that operates online is The Adult Autism Practice - https://www.adultautism.ie they’re an Irish service but operate online and so serve anyone in GB, and are recognised by the NHS. All of my dealings with the referral process so far have been excellent, very thoughtful and considerate, and clear communication throughout. But I haven’t had my assessment yet so can’t speak to that. 

They do have a lot of information on their assessment process on their website, but I know that they do not use the ADOS as that was one of the reasons I initially opted to use them. The ADOS was developed to be used with children and isn’t really appropriate to be used with adults, especially adults who have gone undiagnosed and so are likely masking. So if you can I would definitely recommend steering clear of any service who does complete the ADOS with adults, for a better assessment experience. And the waiting list at the Adult Autism Practice is 4-5 months at the moment.

And thanks for the information on Psychiatry UK, I hadn’t heard of them. I’m 31 and I’m on the waiting list with the Adult Autism Practice. I had saved up for it but now my puppy needs surgery so I’m probably going to have to cancel that if my justgiving page doesn’t cover the surgery and try to go through the NHS again. I’ve been so disappointed as I assumed that meant going back onto a waiting list that’s minimum 18 months but this gives me another option to look in to which is so brilliant, so thank you so much for that! 

I hope the information on the Adult Autism Practice helps and you find the right option for you soon! Oh and if you’re not already, my big tip would be to go on Tik Tok, you and the Autism community will find each other very quickly and it has been so helpful to me to finally see other people who are like me.