Assessment Process

An autism assessment involves gathering a range of different information. Some of this information will be gathered from speaking to you about your experiences, and completing tasks with you. We will also try to gather information about your childhood development.

It may also be helpful for us to speak with someone who knows you well now, for example, a partner, friend or other relative.

The assessment involves asking questions about a range of experiences in your life. We appreciate that for some people these may be upsetting or difficult to talk about and there will be ongoing support throughout the process. *Please note that the level of support available may vary between services.

The assessment takes place over several appointments across a number of weeks. Most people will attend two to four appointments, but the number of appointments can vary according to each person’s circumstances. This means it is not possible to say precisely how long the process will take. However, we will make sure to keep you updated throughout.

Flowchart of the Autism Assessment Pathway from referral to support.

Your first appointment

For your first appointment, you will meet a clinician who will talk more about the assessment process. They will make sure that you understand what the assessment will involve and confirm that you are happy to continue.

They will also ask if you are happy for us to contact a person (or more than one person) who knows you well, to gather further information. We will talk to you about the types of questions we will want to ask them and why.

The clinician will then spend time discussing your background and the types of difficulties that you have been experiencing. They will also ask you some questions about your safety and wellbeing. At the end of the first appointment, the clinician you are meeting with will talk to you about the next stages of the assessment.

What happens if I receive an Autism diagnosis?

Some of the people that we assess will meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. As part of this, an assessment report will be written. This will outline the assessment observations, summarise a person’s individual strengths and include recommendations.

What happens if I do not receive an Autism diagnosis?

For some people, it may be the case that at the end of an assessment they may not receive a diagnosis of autism. This may be because we think that there is a different explanation for the differences they are experiencing, or that they do not fulfil all the criteria necessary for a diagnosis. If this is the case, we will explain why we have reached the conclusion we have and signpost or refer to wider services if appropriate.

Unfortunately, in some cases, there may not be a clear outcome to a person’s assessment. This might be because there are a range of complicated factors which make the information unclear, or that for various reasons we haven’t been able to gather all the information we need.

However, whatever the outcome, we will share our understanding of the information we have gathered during the assessment. We will also discuss the different sources of further support that may be available to you.