Preparing for a child autism assessment
We want to make the assessment process as smooth as possible for you and your child. Below we have information to help you and your child prepare for their assessment.
What to expect at an assessment
When you have an assessment with us at Evolve, as a parent or carer you will be invited to complete developmental history forms and interviews with our clinicians. The interviews can be online or in person and forms can be filled in electronically. Our assistant psychologists are available to help parents with forms as needed.
Depending on the strengths and areas of difficulties noted in the information you provide, your child will be scheduled for assessment sessions. These sessions are usually in person and take between 30 minutes to 1 hour.
One to one appointment
Your child will be seen in clinic by one of our expert clinicians. We use the ADOS assessment for an autism assessment. Your child or young person will carry out a range of activities and will be asked about areas such as their friendships, activities they enjoy. The clinician will explore with them their strengths and areas they may find more challenging.
What to expect from a one to one session
Heather talks you through what to expect in your child's one to one assessment
A video to help your child understand the assessment
This short animation is designed to help children understand what to expect during the assessment
What happens next
Once all of the required assessments are completed, the multidisciplinary team at Evolve will come together to have a meeting to discuss all the information they have gathered. The clinicians will be thinking together about how they best understand your child's unique profile of strengths, challenges and experiences.
If there is enough information, they will decide on whether your child meets the criteria for a disability under the Disability Act (2005).
Receiving the outcome
After a decision has been made a report is written and sent to AON. Following review in the AON office Evolve Psychology will offer parents and carers an appointment for a feedback meeting which is usually held online. This will be with your assessment coordinator, and they will share with you whether there is a diagnosis or not for your child. If you don’t get a diagnosis, it may be that the challenges your child have been having in their life are caused by something different, the assessment coordinator will explain this to you and may suggest other sources of support that may be helpful to you and your child. At this appointment you can of course ask questions about the outcome. This appointment is usually thirty minutes long.
After the feedback appointment, you will receive a multidisciplinary report within two weeks of your feedback meeting.
