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Right to Choose - help please

4 replies

MissFox07 · 14/02/2026 08:23

Hello everyone, my 8 year old son was recommended for an Autism & ADHD assessment by the school therapist. She advised to do NHS Right to Choose rather than the school refer him as he presents differently in the classroom and they do not see/experience what myself and the therapist see. I've started the AQ-10 form but I don't know what provider to put down. I've been researching online and I'm still non the wiser. Most seem to be online, and I guess, I'm just wondering how on earth can a child be diagnosed online? I feel if he is sitting in front of a screen talking to someone, how can they get the full picture. In play therapy sessions, she picked up on how he cannot stay still, he is like a ping pong ball going back and forward, always having something in his hand, moving around, climbing and jumping etc. Yes he can talk about how he doesn't eat, how his food and drink must be a certain way, how he eats the same thing every day until he replaces it with something else, how he doesn't like sleeping, how he hates balloons and sudden noises, his extreme interests in chess, ants and football, daily rituals, meltdowns etc but I just don't see how anyone gets a full picture of how someone is by talking to them over a screen. What are parents experiences of online assessments? Over the years, due to the schools always saying 'we don't really see anything you're describing in class', I'm worried it will be the same outcome. I was thinking of going with Clinical Partners as they have a location in london, and thought they may do face to face but it says primarily online for right to choose, and some are so far away. I am right on the surrey/west london border so do not want to be traveling to Exeter or up North for face to face. Please any advise or your own experience I would love to hear. Thank you.

OP posts:
ExistingonCoffee · 14/02/2026 11:16

If you want F2F and don’t want to travel long distances, have a look at Psicon.

MissFox07 · 15/02/2026 19:26

ExistingonCoffee · 14/02/2026 11:16

If you want F2F and don’t want to travel long distances, have a look at Psicon.

Thank you. Have you had experience with Psicon?

OP posts:
ExistingonCoffee · 15/02/2026 20:50

Not personally, no.

narrowrailroad · 26/02/2026 00:42

There is no funding for Right to Choose in some areas - have you checked what providers are funded in your area or if they are still funding referrals to any provider?

Personally I've seen a lot of reports under RTC with professionals who clearly weren't qualified to be making those decisions so I would be checking what qualifications the people making the assessment will have, and don't just accept that it will meet NICE guidelines - they are vague.

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