Private assessment for ASD

[Housesoftheholy]

I am looking to get a private assessment for Asd for my son. Is there anything I need to look for specifically when choosing who to go to?

I'm currently looking at two places that are similar in price and one uses ADOS and the other says ADOS-2. I have asked both and they say they would be fully recognised diagnosis by other care providers and were both recommended to me by the NAS.

Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks

Have you got bupa cover? Are they covered?

No haven't got bupa cover

How long will the assessments take and how many appointments are necessary.

Thanks!

Make sure their assessment meets NICE guidelines or it may not be recognised as an official diagnosis.

Agree with advice to look at NICE guidelines. Ideally should be a psychologist, SLT and paediatrician. I'm skeptical about single professionals diagnosing autism, I think you need a multi-professonal perspective. I work privately with a colleague from another discipline and we learn from each other and see different perspectives.

Also, should ideally use more than just the ADOS ( 1 or 2) - look for somebody using a structured interview also (like the DISCO).

The ADOS should always be video-recorded.

Thanks for replies miss and speechie. That is what I gathered and am trying to find a multi disciplinary assessment using an ADOS and a structured interview.

Currently I have found a professional working alone offering both, and a multi disciplinary who I'm waiting for the secretary to come back and tell me what the interview technique used is.

In our local authority we would not recognise a diagnosis from a single professional. I'd hate for you to pay thousands for an assessment and find it isn't worth the pAper it is written on.

Your child should be seen by a paediatrician, speech therapist and psychologist. If you are up north I have seen very good multi disciplinary assessments done by Socrates in Huddersfield. Where a diagnosis has not been given they have explained why to parents and in some cases diagnosed another condition. Parents told me they paid around £1800 (might be out of date info now though)

Oh and because I am nosey...why can't your DS be assessed on NHS? Huge wait list? Or no service?

My own experience of children with SEN birth and fostered) is that NHS assessments are much better for accessing services. Private assessments are just not recognised in the same way, and certain gateways only seem to be opened once you are in the NHS system, so a private diagnosis won't speed things up, and may slow things down. Fos instance, in our area, only the Autism panel can refer a child to autistic provision in local schools. The local service is also set up so that services tie in with each other, so you might not find out about helpful services if you aren't in your local system. So really check things out before going this route. I have found some private therapists helpful - SALT for instance as they could be more flexible and intensive, but it was actually the private SALTvwho recommended us to go down the NHS route and use private as an addition rather than replacement.

We got an NHS paed to do ax privately, just him, Ados and questions. Never any issue with diagnosis. Didn't cost too much either.

Oh great Tigerlight that is interesting and good to hear, i have found an nhs paed that takes private referrals. They assured me it would be a recognised diagnosis.

miss and Caramelkate thanks for your input. We are awaiting an nhs assessment but it is a one to two year wait and I really just feel for my own sanity I would like to follow this up now. Ds has fairly complex needs and is already statemented and starting special school. But assessment as to whether autism is part of it (which I think it is) has not happened yet and I'm frankly fed up of waiting.

I fully intend to follow through with the nhs assement process as well as this. I totally agree though you make a good point about access to local services Caramel snd I shall find out more about that, and also like you said miss I would like to find out what follow up may happen if no diagnosis is made too.

Many thanks for your replies

We didn't bother with the NHS diagnosis a year later. We asked if there were any services we could access with that that we couldn't already. The answer was no and couldn't face all the questions and what have you for no real benefit.
It did help us to know what we were dealing with. Good luck.

Thanks that is helpful

I would add that he was already in the nhs system after initial social comm. disorder DX. I think that opens up the door to certain services anyway. You may need the ASD DX to do NAS early bird course though.

I think we are probably currently accessing all the nhs services that we would with a diagnosis but I do think a diagnosis may open up other autism specific services. Also it would bring different/further support at school in the future. It may save me some brain ache at the moment too!

I had a private dx from Dr Daphne Keen it was recognised by my local Nhs as she is a top paediatric consultant in St George's hospital.

That should read my dd no "I"

It's not true that private dx holds no weight. In areas where there is an extensive waiting list, the paediatrician may welcome a private dx providing it meets NICE guidelines and that the report is detailed.

So for example, when we write reports, we send them to the paediatrician, who gives the 'nhs rubber stamp' (which doesn't matter actually - the dx doesn't need to be rubber stamped by the NHS in order to be valid).

It actually works very well providing you have a good multi-disciplinary team in the first place and provided that they communicate with the NHS. We work privately but also in the NHS. That makes a lot of difference, thinking about it.

I think it varies - my point was that you should check with your area about what they accept and who from. Different services have different ways of working, and it's a lot of money to spend without knowing whether it will be helpful

Thanks all, have found all your replies really helpful