Has anyone gone private for ASD diagnosis child?

[Topbananana]

and if so, can you recommend them? We live in London if that helps, and our child is 5

These are my experiences of a private diagnosis from working in the SEND provision field .

Yes, a private diagnosis of autism can be useful when seeking an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) support in school—but there are some important caveats:

How a Private Diagnosis Can Help:
Evidence of Needs: It can provide valuable evidence of your child’s needs, which you can submit as part of your EHCP application or request for SEND support
Private assessments are often much faster than NHS pathways, which are frequently backlogged
Professional Opinion: If done by a qualified clinician (e.g., a clinical psychologist or paediatrician experienced in diagnosing autism), it should carry professional weight.

However, Some Things to Be Aware Of:
Local Authority Discretion: Some local authorities may scrutinise private reports more closely than NHS ones, especially if they suspect the assessor lacks expertise or the diagnosis isn’t thorough.
NHS Confirmation: In some cases, schools or local authorities may insist on a follow-up or confirmation from NHS services before they fully accept the diagnosis for EHCP planning.
School Attitudes: Some schools may be more accepting of private diagnoses than others; a supportive SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) can make a big difference here.

Tips to Strengthen a Private Diagnosis for EHCP Use:

• Ensure the assessment is comprehensive and includes clear documentation of how the autism affects your child’s learning, behaviour, and social interaction.
• Choose a reputable assessor with relevant qualifications and experience in autism.
• Include any school input or teacher observations in the report if possible.
• Ask the assessor to link the diagnosis directly to the need for specific educational support.

Weird ChatGPT answer above.

I did and it was a really good experience, I found a psychiatrist through the Bupa consultant finder website and she did it. She also works for the NHS and does them there too.

It was just over 3k for ASD and ADHD assessments.

We did but we are in Northumberland so not near you and i wouldnhave though costs are less. 2 years ago was about 2k partially covered through work insurance we made sure was a legit registered company and psychologist was registered etc. Dc now has an ehcp and haven't had issues with it being accepted anywhere.

https://neurodiversityunravelled.com

I did. But not for ASD.Got an appointment in less than two weeks and a 22 page report outlining all ther findings and a recommended care plan for both school and home. My DD was diagnosed with a mild learning disability, a processing disorder and discaculia. ( maths dyslexia). School refused to carry out the examination due to funding and if I was to public it was a minumum of 18 months waiting list. I wasn't prepared to wait. Cost €900 but worth every penny.

Sorry ?? ChatGBT ?? I’ve been on MN since 2007 !!

What actually matters is that a private assessment meets NICE guidelines

My friend did. She went with a company who used an assesor who also worked for the NHS in the same role. They were extremely thorough and the report was extremely detailed. It has been accepted by GP, school and being used for an EHCP application.

I'm sure you have, but your post is identical in style to a ChatGPT answer and I don't believe you typed it all yourself.

We used MOAI clinic in London and were really impressed by the Consultant.

I am. Just waiting for school to do forms. Using someone recommended to me. She is London / Surrey border. £3k for dual adhd / asd assesment.

Thanks everyone. We believe our child heavily masks at school, hence the SENCOs heel dragging, and I really feel like without a diagnosis my child is going to struggle in coming years. Reception is ok but year 1+, I do think they’re going to find bits challenging. But is there any point us going private if we need to rely on a school report? It seems that unless a child is having meltdowns or non-verbal, they’ll get involved. My child does none of those things but does get exhausted from “performing” all day at school. This is what is putting me off going down any avenue 😔

This. Make sure it's a multidisciplinary assessment. If it is there's no reason for anyone to refuse it or for it to need 'confirming'

The clinic we went to were understanding that daughter masked at school and we felt the school report was not reflective of how she was a lot of the time. We were really helped however by a report from the club my daughter attended, where she didn't feel the need to mask so much and they evidenced the same behaviours we saw, but in another setting. Do you have any clubs etc that could help with evidence?

Also used them and they were very good.

Yes, used this place (which is widely used by families from SE London and Kent). We eventually saw an NHS doc who was v complimentary of the report.

www.starjumpz.com/

@Topbananana

what I did was a mini MH assessment. I saw this also offered by another provider in my area. That might be enough to give you an initial feeling without spending out too much. That report was the final push for my dd school to do the CAMHS referral.

it basically did some of the questionnaires from a full assessment and was enough for her to say she was scoring in the adhd ranges.

I teach in a dance school and often write reports to support a diagnosis of ASD where the child masks in school so school do not support but is blindingly obvious in other settings.

Sorry should have added that child masks like a champ in school.

Make sure the provider follows NICE guidelines. Best practice for Autism assessment is to have a multidisciplinary team with a minimum of 2 professionals involved in the assessment. Beware of single specialist services. I would also look at services that offer support post diagnosis. So for example, if sleep is a major concern, you might want to choose a provider that can offer a sleep service.

Pm me op

Hmm, not really. They just do swimming etc, nothing with extensive overview from a professional. Prior to school was a short stint at nursery, but it was a very hands-off setting if that’s makes sense? Sort of a forest school that was really unstructured and only a few days a week. It’s also closed now 😭

Thank you both, I’ll look into them now. With the free consultation, is it a good idea to have my child with me or not? I feel like I’m gaslighting myself as to whether they are ND and part of me thinks having them sat with me might help them gage whether this is pointless or not. I also know that having a child near you when trying to have a serious conversation can also be a hindrance 😂

And how did that work for you, were there other professionals that could chime in and support you?

I’ve never sought anything in the past, and they’ve never been in any kind of full-time childcare due to preference of both us and my child, so I don’t really have anyone to lean on to support it? I feel like we’ve shot ourselves in the foot by avoiding the FT nursery route (although, much to my child’s benefit)

We did and we didn’t get the diagnosis. A year later she was diagnosed by CAMHS. Waste of £2k.