Autism assessment for adolescent via Right to Choose pathway

This particular NHS health authority explains it like this:

"There are many clinics across England offering NHS neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessments to children, young people and adults. These clinics all work within an NHS Standard Contract and to a strict NHS service specification. .. You have probably heard of these clinics referred to as NHS Right To Choose clinics."

NHS North East and North Cumbria - Understanding NHS Right To Choose and Patient Choice

An important part of the assessment process is differential diagnosis, which involves clinicians considering whether other conditions might better account for symptoms than autism would. 

There's loads of great information about the whole process here in the NAS's diagnosis hub, including, for example: 

NAS - Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment

NAS - Professionals involved in an autism assessment

You could also contact any of the providers that you're considering using, and ask them to address your concerns / questions directly.

There's a page here that you might be helpful for exploring RTC providers (including for autism). For example, go to England > Dorset > Jump to RTC Wait Information > Click on the Autism Child tab:

ADHD UK - NHS Integrated Care Boards, Health Boards, and Health & Social Care Trusts

This particular NHS health authority explains it like this:

"There are many clinics across England offering NHS neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessments to children, young people and adults. These clinics all work within an NHS Standard Contract and to a strict NHS service specification. .. You have probably heard of these clinics referred to as NHS Right To Choose clinics."

NHS North East and North Cumbria - Understanding NHS Right To Choose and Patient Choice

An important part of the assessment process is differential diagnosis, which involves clinicians considering whether other conditions might better account for symptoms than autism would. 

There's loads of great information about the whole process here in the NAS's diagnosis hub, including, for example: 

NAS - Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment

NAS - Professionals involved in an autism assessment

You could also contact any of the providers that you're considering using, and ask them to address your concerns / questions directly.

There's a page here that you might be helpful for exploring RTC providers (including for autism). For example, go to England > Dorset > Jump to RTC Wait Information > Click on the Autism Child tab:

ADHD UK - NHS Integrated Care Boards, Health Boards, and Health & Social Care Trusts

Thanks for your reply. I had a look this morning at the information from NAS regarding the assessment process and it explains that the multidisciplinary team assessing children must include a psychiatrist and psychologist. That is what made me wonder how these alternative providers carry out the assessment if their teams, as presented on their web page, do not seem to include phychiatists. I also asked some of the providers this morning, just to find out more, and several of them told me that my daughter would be assessed by a clinician. When I insisted in what sort of specialism this clinician would have, they said that it would be an available clinician. So it sounds a bit random, to be honest. I understand that the right to choose path gives you the chance of cutting waiting list times, but I also want to make sure that my daughter gets best care..