Adult ASD Assessment

I did my graduation and postgraduation in Paediatrics from India and moved to the UK in 2003. I obtained my MRCPCH (UK) in 2003 and my FRCPCH (UK) in 2021. I have been working in the field of Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics since 2006. I started working at Provide Wellbeing from 2008 and have been working as consultant since 2018. My areas of expertise are autism, ADHD and developmental delay. I am also an educational supervisor for specialist registrars, a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics, and a child health examiner. I enjoy being able to help and support children and families with additional needs. In my spare time, I am a private aeroplane pilot.

With over 20 years' practice in Paediatrics, Dr Kamba Mpenge is a Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician and Neurodisability Specialist.

My name is Hannah, and I am an Occupational Therapist. I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2006 from the University of East Anglia. I work with children and adults who have a wide range of needs, including neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). My skills include therapeutic interventions and advice, assessment for specialist equipment and assessment of home environments for manual handling, adaptations and equipment etc.

I completed my ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) training in 2012 and since then I have been working as part of a multidisciplinary assessment team carrying out assessments of social communication skills, diagnosing autism. I have also undergone training using the ‘MAES Approach’ (Movement Analysis and Educational Strategies) which is a specialist treatment approach for children with neurological conditions. I love that in my job, I get to meet and spend time with lots of different people. I enjoy scuba diving, gaming, eating out and walking.

My name is Amy, and I am a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Speech Sciences in 2007 from University College London. I have specialised in working with children and adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and complex communication difficulties. I worked for the NHS for 14 years and was the lead Speech and Language Therapist in working with children and adults requiring alternative and augmentative communication, as well as being part of the senior management team. I have completed post graduate training in a range of different therapeutic techniques.

I have worked as part of a multi-disciplinary assessment team for autism since 2010. I am a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council. I feel very privileged that my job means I get to meet such a wonderful variety of different people. I love getting to know each and every one and hearing about their lives. I am very passionate about autism and supporting people and families to get the support they need to help them reach their potential. I enjoy baking and cake decorating, reading, going on walks with my family and dog and eating out at lovely restaurants.

My name is Dr Amin Band, and I am a Lead Neurodevelopmental Consultant. I joined Wellbeing in 2018. My job involves meeting children / young people and their families, assessing them, and answering their queries, making some contribution to making their lives better in some way. I enjoy working with the lovely team from the Wellbeing family and leading my teams. In my spare time, I like walking and cooking.

I have been a Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician in Essex for more than 20 years and lead clinician for Provide CIC's Community Paediatric service since 2010. I have special interests in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics and Safeguarding Children. I am trained in autism assessment and have been providing diagnostic and follow up services for children with autism and ADHD since 1994. I hold qualifications of MBBS, MRCS, MRCP, FRCPCH, DCH and a Diploma in Community Paediatrics.

Awareness and understanding of autism are increasing all the time. Some people with autism receive a diagnosis in their childhood. In contrast, other people might not have been able to explore the possibility that they could be autistic until adulthood.

You may find some day-to-day tasks challenging, see the world differently, or need help communicating. You may have read some information about autism that you can identify with. Or perhaps you have a friend or loved one who displays traits associated with autism, and you want to support them. This is where the adult autism assessment comes in.

For many, a diagnosis of autism can be affirming. It can unlock access to further support for you and your family. During an adult autism assessment, we uncover the behaviours and symptoms you experience daily to reach a conclusive diagnosis.

Booking your Assessment

Adult autism assessments are multi-disciplinary and will include therapists and autism Consultants. You can book a self-pay assessment by contacting Provide Wellbeing and booking an appointment with one of our clinicians. We understand you may need to take time off work, so we try to be flexible.

Discussing the Assessment

How you approach the conversation about your assessment should feel natural and comfortable to you. Using external resources to guide your terminology or signposting for family and friends will be helpful.

You may wish to broach the topic of an adult autism assessment if your family member, partner or friend displays autistic traits. If that is the case, we advise that you are both in a relaxed environment when you instigate the discussion to prevent your loved one from feeling overwhelmed. Being armed with the resources and information needed to answer questions is key. But ultimately, it is that person's decision whether or not they choose to book an assessment.

The Assessment

On arrival at the clinic, you will be greeted by a team member and shown to the clinic room, where you will meet the rest of the team. We use a flexible assessment approach to ensure that we meet the individual needs of everyone who attends an assessment. Tools may be used, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), which is a standardised assessment, providing a series of contexts which allow the examiner to observe social communication, interaction and interests, behaviours and routines. We recognise that formal, standardised assessments are not always the most appropriate tool for some people, such as when someone is very anxious. Therefore, the examiners adapt their communication and assessment approach to support this. The assessment is mostly conversational based, exploring your own thoughts and feelings about the possible diagnosis, your emotions, social relationships and talking about your special interests, sensory preferences. The information from the assessment is used in conjunction with the information gathered from parents and their place of education, if applicable, to determine whether you meet the criteria for a diagnosis.

Assessments for Women

With girls and women, we know that autism can present very differently, so often, our assessment style may also differ. Typically, difficulties can be much more subtle, and girls and women have more learned ways of managing the world. So, we need to be more thorough with our examination to break through the mask and discover mirroring behaviours.

Following a Diagnosis

If our professionals conclude that you have autism, you will likely have many questions. You may discuss these questions with your clinician, family, friends, GP, or healthcare professional. Or it may also be helpful to meet other people with autism and join support groups. Remember that no two people are the same, so your experience of autism may be very different to other people's.

At Provide Wellbeing, we are here to help start you on your way towards understanding autism and its associated behaviours and to support you in your day-to-day life. Don't hesitate to contact a team member if you need additional support.

Pricing & Appointment Information

Adult autism assessment - £1,900

This price is inclusive of VAT. The adult autism assessment fee includes a multi-disciplinary diagnostic assessment with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and includes a comprehensive written report with detailed findings and support recommendations.

For full details of our refund and cancellation policy, please visit our Pricing & Payment Terms.

If you have any questions about the Adult autism assessment itself or the process involved, please get in touch with our dedicated customer support team.