Private ASD assessment

[Cheesywiggles]

Hi everyone,
My son is on the ASD pathway via the NHS. He is on never ending waiting lists. This has been going on since 2021 and we are now seriously considering going private for an assessment. We are in the south east ( west Sussex) and can travel within reason for the right place. I want to make sure the assessment is done properly , following the NHS guidelines. Clearly it is a lot of money and it's important I get this right for my son.
I just wanted to hear about anyone's experiences or opinions , we are currently looking at clinical partners. They appear very good , following all guidelines, thorough assessment etc. Has anyone got any experience of using them? I have also been looking at some places that offer virtual assessments , they are cheaper and say they follow all the NHS guidelines but I'm a bit sceptical if im honest. Has anyone got experience of doing a virtual assessment?
If anyone has any recommendations of other places they have used I would be really interested to hear about them too. So sorry for long post! I'm just finding it all a bit of a minefield and I obviously want to make the right decision for my son! Many thanks in advance for any replies 🙂

Not in your area but looked for a service. You are right that virtual is not really suitable. Would be OK for the parent interview but not for accurate observation of a child in my experience.

Diagnosis in our area is multidisciplinary across 2 strands of a pathway. ADOS is used as an important part of the process alongside information from parents, the school and a report from a specialist teacher based on an observation in school. I used to undertake these as part of my role.

If you can I would obtain some evidence from school if you are seeking private assessment.

This service uses ADOS as a diagnostic tool.

http://www.chichesterchildpsychology.co.uk/autism-assessment-west-sussex.htm

I’d avoid virtual assessment! Make sure they follow NICE guidelines and get information from multiple sources. Sometimes they will do school observations but with my DS they sent the school questionnaires and did 2 separate parent interviews (one a Standardised assessment) and an in person ADOS. It was worth paying for us as there’s a 4 year wait at the moment.