Autism (ASD) Assessment

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social interaction, communication, and behaviour. It affects individuals differently causing a wide range of symptoms and challenges, which is why it is referred to as a "spectrum" disorder. Although it can be diagnosed at any age, symptoms generally begin in early childhood.

Identification and understanding are crucial in supporting individuals with ASD, particularly in education and enabling children and young people to lead the best quality of life. Multidisciplinary approaches, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychology can help to recognise ASD and make recommendations for support.
As a paediatrician, my role lies in early identification, comprehensive evaluation, and providing recommendations for support for children with ASD.

Guidance for Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis

NICE GUIDELINES and DSM-V DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation in the United Kingdom that provides evidence-based guidance and advice to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public.
NICE aims to reduce variations in diagnosis and treatment across different regions or institutions.

To diagnose Autism spectrum disorder there is NICE Clinical guideline [CG128] Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis and this is followed as much as practically possible. The focus on multidisciplinary assessment is important to get a full understanding of a child’s abilities. To do so any existing reports will be taken into consideration and then further assessments may be recommended.

The DSM-V, also known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, is a comprehensive and widely used classification system for disorders. It provides guidelines and criteria to help clinicians diagnose and classify various conditions.

The DSM-V 299.00 criteria are used to plot the child’s profile against and demonstrate whether they meet the criteria for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

To date schools and other NHS services have accepted the private diagnosis made by Dr Sarah Mills because of the clear and thorough reports provided during the assessment.

ASD Assessment Process

Step 1:

Neurodevelopmental Assessment

Information is gathered about the child, any concerns, past medical history, development and school progress.

Step 2:

Observation & Examination

During the assessment the child’s behaviour will be observed and a short physical examination will be carried out.

Step 3:

Assessments

Recommendations will be made regarding whether further observation and which assessments are needed.

Step 4:

Feedback

Following all of the assessments a feedback session is planned to discuss the findings and further recommendations.

What Happens At an Assessment?

The whole process is child led, your child will be encouraged to share their experiences and participate as much as they wish.

We will talk through concerns, educational progress, medical and family history. Information will be gathered on your Childs development from birth to now and specific symptoms.

Any existing reports or assessments completed on your child are used to inform the process.

The sorts of specific assessments used are:

  • Home questionnaires on day to day abilities and communication skills

  • School questionnaires for further information

  • Communication and interaction assessment, carried out by a specialist speech and language therapist. This is used to gather further evidence of a child’s strengths and areas of difficulty.

  • Autism directly observed schedule (ADOS-3) assessment, carried at an additional appointment. This play based assessment looks specifically for signs of autism in a child

What Happens After an Assessment?

Following the feedback session, the reports will be compiled and shared with you securely via email.

There is the opportunity to review the report to ensure you are happy with it, it will then be shared with your child’s GP. You are welcome to share the report with nursery, school or other professionals involved in your child’s care.

Included with the final reports is the invoice. This is payable by bank transfer within 28 days. If card payment is preferred this can be arranged and a card link will be sent. All major debit and credit cards are accepted. It is possible to pay by instalments leading up to or following the assessment, please ask for this to be arranged.

There is a post-assessment final discussion included in the assessment fee, this is arranged by video consultation around 8 weeks later. Here we can discuss any further questions or concerns prior to discharge.

ASD Assessment Cost

Pre-School Assessment: from £1,050 to £1,650

For children under age 4, this assessment package includes:

  • a neurodevelopmental assessment

  • gathering all of the home and nursery based information

  • Play-based assessment or ADOS assessment

  • Feedback

Additional assessment from a specialist speech and language therapist may be recommended. This can be completed within the NHS or private colleagues.

School Age Assessment: £1,650

For children of school age this assessment package includes:

  • a neurodevelopmental assessment

  • gathering all of the home and school based information

  • ADOS assessment

  • Feedback

As part of the assessment additional assessment from a specialist speech and language therapist may be recommended. This can be completed within the NHS or private colleagues.

Combined Assessment: £1,850

If you are concerned that autism may be present with other conditions or just aren’t sure it may be worth completing assessments for a range of conditions at the same time.

This package includes:

  • A neurodevelopmental assessment

  • Gathering all of the home and school based information

  • ADOS assessment

  • ADHD questionnaires

  • Qbcheck assessment

  • Feedback

Payment terms: You will receive an invoice with the final reports. This is payable by bank transfer within 28 days. If card payment is preferred this can be arranged and a card link will be sent. All major debit and credit cards are accepted. It is possible to pay by instalments leading up to or following the assessment, please ask for this to be arranged. Dr Sarah Mills is registered with health insurance providers, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Being assessed privately for a diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Condition can greatly reduce the waiting times that you would experience, due to the lengthy delays for diagnosis within the NHS.

  • There is often a concern that NHS service or educational places will not recognise a private diagnosis. To date this has not been an issue as the assessments follow NICE and DSM-V guidelines and the reports provided are thorough and provide all the required evidence.

  • Ideally all needs should be met through recognition. However many services, educational support and funding are set up for those with a diagnosis of autism. Therefore you cannot access them without it. Recognising autism means specific strategies and understanding can be provided.

  • As autism is a spectrum disorder there will be some children and young people who have difficulties but not to the level to meet the diagnostic criteria. As the assessment is holistic recommendations for support around strengths and weakness can be made and as the assessment is being done by a paediatrician other diagnoses or assessments can be recommended.

  • You are able to self-refer by completing the web based form: https://www.drsarahmills.co.uk/referral Reports are copied to GPs to ensure they are aware of assessments and can flag NHS medical records with any diagnosis made.

  • Many different places offer private autism assessments. Some companies or charities offer a range of assessments as part of the process. As Dr Sarah Mills is a single-handed paediatrician she will make recommendations for any additional assessments as required but they are not included in the assessment fee. She is able to diagnose autism and a range of other medical conditions from toddlers to adulthood.

  • Firstly, because the NHS is free the true cost of healthcare is not always obvious to the public. After running costs, insurances and taxes are covered the fees include hourly rate comparable to those in the NHS.

  • Children and their families come from all over the UK to the Newcastle based clinic. There are options to have video consultation and face to face meetings arranged to meet your requirements

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