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​*Who are Autism Unpicked?

We are a team of specialist qualified clinicians, including Clinical Psychologists and specialist Speech and Language Therapists.  You can 'meet the team' here. We offer private Autism assessments and combined Autism and ADHD assessments in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, North and South Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Greater/South Manchester and further afield for children and young people age 6-25. 

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*Where are you based?

The majority of your contact with the team can happen remotely via videocall, telephone or email. However, we will also need to see you or your child in person/face to face at one of the following venues in Sheffield or North Derbyshire for one of the appointments:

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• Ecclesall Road South, Sheffield

• Lime Grove Walk, Matlock, Derbyshire

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*How long are your wait times?

We are able to begin stage 1 of the assessment process with immediate effect (usually within 24-48 hours of an initial telephone call to discuss your needs). Once all stage 1 information is returned and reviewed, should moving on to stage 2 of the assessment be clinically appropriate and something you wish to continue with, we would offer you our next available appointment slots to do this. We would discuss urgency with you and try to support an assessment occurring within a timeframe that meets yours/your child's needs. 

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*What geographic areas do you cover?

We can carry out assessments of children and young adults living in South Yorkshire (e.g., Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley), Derbyshire (e.g., Chesterfield, Matlock, Hope Valley, Hathersage, High Peak, New Mills, Derby, Bakewell, Buxton), Nottinghamshire (e.g., Nottingham, Bridgford, Mansfield, Sherwood, Ravenshead) and South Manchester (e.g., Stockport, Hale, Altrincham, Bowdon, Marple) areas. We complete assessments with people from further afield also, but please be aware of the need for a face to face assessment for children, which will mean visiting a member of the team at one of our Sheffield or Derbyshire based clinics for one of the appointments. All other contact will typically occur via videocall or telephone.  For adults, we can complete assessments online, but some will need an in person appointment also. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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*Do you offer Right to Choose assessments?

In England, people have the right to choose where they receive various services related to health. For Autism and ADHD assessments, some teams have a Right to Choose contract.  This means the NHS pays them directly to complete assessments for people and then the person seeking an assessment does not pay.  These contracts are usually with very big organisations. We do not have an NHS Right to Choose contract and have not sought one.  We are a small team of experienced NHS clinicians who offer a neuro-affirming and thorough assessment service that is tailored to individual needs.  Our priority is keeping wait times low for people we work with.  As a small team with other commitments including NHS jobs, we are not able to seek this kind of contract without it significantly impacting waiting times for people.  We offer self-funded assessments but we are happy to discuss ways to spread this payment as needed. 

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*How do you assess children and young adults for Autism and/or ADHD?

Assessing children and young adults for Autism and/or ADHD is different to assessing a medical condition, such as those where you might have a blood test or an x-ray for example. The process is thorough and detailed and requires a team of specialist clinicians to make a joint decision based on multiple sources of information. Assessments at Autism Unpicked are carried out according to guidelines provided by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and recent NHS England 'operational' guidelines.  These guidelines are known to be the best way of assessing children and adults for Autism.  The same applies for assessment of ADHD.

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Please see our specific 'what we do' pages for more information about the assessment stages for each process in detail.

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Please be aware that most NHS Trusts offer Autism and ADHD assessment for children and young people for free. Your first course of action might be to speak to your school Special Educational Needs Coordinator or GP to ask them to make a referral for you or your child.  Please be aware that most services currently have long waiting times in the NHS. 

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*Will the assessment be an Autism 'test' or an ADHD 'test'?

You will sometimes hear people use words like Autism test or ADHD test.  However, the assessment will not be a test like you would imagine in a school setting.  It will be a chance to talk about you/your child's experiences so we can learn about their needs and strengths. This usually includes a conversation with parent/s/someone in the person's life who knows them well and knows their history.  For an adult, we will also meet to have a conversation using a semi structured 'interview' of questions to learn about them.  For a child, we will do some play based activities and some talking.  This will be adapted to each person, their age and individual needs.  It should feel like an exploration of someone's needs and not like a test.  There are no right or wrong ways to answer. 

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*My child behaves differently at home than they do at school including 'masking' behaviours.  Will you be able to tell this from the assessment?

As experienced clinicians, we understand that the Autism spectrum includes a range of different behaviours and experiences, as does ADHD.  The assessment combines information from a range of sources and we think through the information critically as a team.  The outcome of the assessment is not based on one part of the assessment alone and we will always be considering what explains what is seen in different places. For example, many girls may present in a different way to boys and some young people engage in 'masking' behaviours.  For example, they can sometimes appear one way at home and with others may hold all their behaviours inside or copy others in order to manage social situations or protect themselves from criticism.  

 

We are experienced in understanding this and will hold this in mind in our assessments.  We adapt our approach depending on the individual needs of the child during assessments in order to maximise our ability to understand them. Our research into the experiences of autistic women is referenced in the Autistic Girls Network's 'white paper' proposal documents. 

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​*What do I have to do to get an assessment for myself or my child?

You can self-refer for an assessment for you or you child by contacting us via our contact page, or emailing us. It can be helpful for families to discuss their intention to have a private assessment with their GP, or their CAMHS or adult neurodevelopmental team if they are open to one. If you prefer and have negotiated this with them, your school/college, GP, or other NHS service can also contact us regarding an assessment.

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*Will the assessment be accepted by school/university/GP/NHS service?

Private assessments are sometimes not accepted because the local authority do not feel the assessment was thorough enough and was not ‘NICE-compliant’ and sometimes there can be the perception that assessments are only valid if completed within the NHS which is not the case.  Autism Unpicked offer a rigorous and thorough approach to assessing you or your child that mirrors local NHS assessment procedures and is aligned with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

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We are confident in the process, maintain our professional training and understanding of assessments and our processes were developed in keeping with how we complete things in the NHS teams we work in/have worked in for many years. Please click here (child Autism), here (child Autism & ADHD) or here (adult Autism), here (adult Autism and ADHD) for what is included in our assessment process should this be needed to help support your discussions with local services who you may wish to contact prior to the assessment.

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We make it clear how the assessment was completed in the report we provide you with so it is explicit in how this follows NICE guidelines and we are all qualified and experienced NHS clinicians. We have never had any of our assessments rejected by schools, local authority or the NHS but if you do feel unsure about this, you may wish to discuss it with local services or with us. We are also happy to answer any questions.

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Medication - For ADHD, we do not prescribe medication but some people will find they benefit from this.  It is not essential to access medication but some people find it helpful. If you would like to access medication, we can give you the details of a Consultant Psychiatrist who can offer this paid option privately. They are based in the same clinic as us in Sheffield. Alternatively, we can refer you into an NHS team for medication.  However, there will be a wait for this as you will usually join the waiting list at the bottom. This will differ in different places.  In Sheffield for example, after a private diagnosis, you will join the list at the bottom for medication in the NHS.  In North Derbyshire for children, you will join the list specifically to see a Paediatrician rather than the whole assessment list so the wait is shorter.  It differs by area and we can discuss this. It may be that you are already open to a CAMHS or neurodevelopmental team in the NHS who can prescribe medication as appropriate so even while you are seeking private assessment, we would encourage you to stay on this list.  Therefore you will gradually work your way up to the top of the waiting list for NHS prescribed medication. 

 

If medication is requested via a private Consultant Psychiatrist following a private assessment, they will need to  ensure that they provide medication based on safety and best practice only if it is medically appropriate. Over time, they would aim to move your care  back to your GP usually in a 'shared care' agreement. All of our ADHD assessments are completed in line with what is called 'NICE guidelines'.  If you wish, you may want to ask your GP if they engage in shared care agreements if you feel you would wish to seek private medication.  If not, you will need to wait to access medication via the NHS or continue paying for private prescriptions if medication is needed. We would be happy to answer any questions you or they may have.  You can also see more information on our 'what we do' pages that explains the process of assessment that you may wish to share with the GP.

 

​*How much does a child Autism assessment cost?

Our standard assessment fees are as follows - Stage 1 (screening) = £200. Stage 2 (full assessment) = £2000.  If you do complete both stage 1 and 2, the cost of the full assessments will be £2200. 

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​*How much does a child Autism and ADHD assessment cost?

Our standard assessment fees are as follows - Stage 1 (screening) = £250. Stage 2 (full assessment) = £2700. If you do complete both stage 1 and 2, the cost of the full assessments will be £2950. 

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*How much does an adult Autism assessment cost?

Our standard assessment fees are as follows.  We will discuss this with you in the assessment process so you can make an informed decision about an assessment. Stage 1 (screening)= £200. Stage 2 (full assessment) = £1450. If you do complete both stage 1 and 2, the cost of the full assessments will be £1650.

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*How much does an adult Autism and ADHD assessment cost?

Our standard assessment fees are as follows.  We will discuss this with you in the assessment process so you can make an informed decision about an assessment. Stage 1 (screening)= £250. Stage 2 (full assessment) = £2300. If you do complete both stage 1 and 2, the cost of the full assessments will be £2550.

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*Why is the cost of child and adult Autism assessment different?

Our assessments are completed in line with NICE guidelines.  Generally for child assessments, there is a higher amount of clinician time and more specialist clinicians involved in the assessment process.  Both approaches to assessment are still valid and thorough, but one includes more time.  Typically, for children, there is more discussion and longer appointments that include contact with additional people (e.g., schools, local authority teams, CAMHS, parents or carers). 

 

Whilst the adult assessments include other people (with consent), this process is different and more information can also be gathered via additional means, such as completing questionnaires. For both young adult and child assessments, we offer a 'stage 1' screening assessment so you can make an informed decision about progressing to an assessment.  This also means there is no need to make a payment for a full assessment if it is not needed.  We are happy to discuss the processes further. ​​​​​​​​​​

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*What happens if you think my child is autistic?

If a decision is made to diagnose your child as autistic, we will write a full report for you to keep and share with relevant professionals. Within this report, we will make some suggestions for things that might be helpful in supporting your child at home and at school but please be advised this list will not be exhaustive as each child has different needs. We will highlight strengths and skills as well as support needs. We will make you aware of free services available to young people with a diagnosis of Autism and what school can be doing to guide you in accessing this type of support in your area. We offer post diagnostic support sessions if you would like to discuss your child’s specific needs after diagnosis. These are costed individually. Please enquire for further details. Information can be found here.

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*What happens if you think my child is autistic and meets criteria for ADHD?

If a decision is made to diagnose your child with Autism and ADHD, we will write a full report for you to keep and share with relevant professionals. Within this report, we will make some suggestions for things that might be helpful in supporting your child at home and at school but please be advised this list will not be exhaustive as each child has different needs. We will highlight strengths and skills as well as support needs. We will make you aware of free services available to young people with a diagnosis and what school can be doing to guide you in accessing this type of support in your area. We offer post diagnostic support sessions if you would like to discuss your child’s specific needs after diagnosis. These are costed individually. Please enquire for further details. Information can be found here.

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*Do you prescribe medication for ADHD?

As a team, we do not prescribe medication and instead offer psychological recommendations to support someone with ADHD.  Some people do not wish to consider medication options.  However, we know some people do find medication beneficial alongside psychological recommendations.  As it is outside of our remit to offer medication for ADHD, if you would like this, we would discuss this with you and we have links with other teams who do prescribe medication.  We would ‘signpost’ you on to those teams.  This means we would share their information with you for you to discuss with them the next steps in order to make an informed decision. 

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​*What happens if you don't think my child is autistic?

An assessment is no guarantee that a diagnosis of Autism will be made at the end of the process. Regardless of the final decision, we will discuss our observations of your child and clinical opinion with you at the end of the assessment to make sure you have a good understanding of their strengths and difficulties/differences, even if they are not autistic. The report will include some suggestions that could be useful to implement at home and school to understand and support your child, ensuring your child’s voice is also heard in the process.

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​*What happens if you don’t think my child is autistic or ADHD?

An assessment is no guarantee that a diagnosis of Autism or ADHD will be made at the end of the process. Regardless of the final decision, we will discuss our observations of your child and clinical opinion with you at the end of the assessment to make sure you have a good understanding of their strengths and difficulties/differences, even if they are not autistic. The report will include some suggestions that could be useful to implement at home and school to understand and support your child, ensuring your child’s voice is also heard in the process.  It may be that we think your child meets the criteria for one and not the other or neither.  We will discuss this with you based on individual needs. 

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​*What happens if you think I am autistic or ADHD (young adults)?

If a decision is made to diagnose you as autistic and/or ADHD, we will write a full report for you to keep and share with relevant professionals as required. Within this report, we will make some suggestions for things that might be helpful in supporting you at home and in different settings.  This will be based on our understanding of you and tailored to your needs.  We will highlight strengths and areas of skill as well as support needs as needed. We will make you aware of free services available to young adults with a diagnosis of Autism / ADHD and what others can be doing to guide you in accessing this type of support in your area. We offer post diagnostic support sessions if you would like to discuss your  specific needs after diagnosis. These are costed individually. Please enquire for further details. Information can be found here.

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*What happens if you don't think I am autistic (young adults)?

An assessment is no guarantee that a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD will be made at the end of the process. However, this does not mean that we have not heard what you have shared with us.  Usually, it just means that we have understood this in a different way and we feel there may be a different explanation for your experiences. We will discuss our observations of you and our clinical opinion to make sure you have a good understanding of how we have understood your experiences.  We will offer a tentative formulation (psychological understanding) of what you have shared with us, highlight you strengths and difficulties/differences and explain what this means.  The report will include some suggestions that could be useful to implement at home and in other settings to understand and support you depending on your individual goals. 

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*What if the team cannot decide?

It is uncommon but not impossible that sometimes a lack of access to information or other factors means it is not possible to determine whether a child or adult meets the diagnostic criteria at this point in time. This is relatively rare and would usually be clear to us earlier in the process.  However, should this arise, we may suggest you obtain further specialist investigations from another service in order to make a decision, the cost of which is not included. We may also suggest that we pause the assessment until you have had these further investigations.  For a child, sometimes, we may suggest we pause the assessment until they are older and their differences are more clear to observe.