Private autism assessment

[Domino1]

Hi. Does anyone have any experience of a good private autism provider for my DD? NHS route is 2 years. GP very supportive but can't recommend or suggest so down to google & pot luck. Suggestions of ones you've tried & tested much appreciated. Thank you.

We were recommended the Lorna Wing Centre/NAS by our psychologist as they are good when working with female and teen diagnosis and use the DISCO approach. They still have a long wait list, it was 9 months when we referred but so far communication and admin have been good.

@lulubooboo
We used them. They were fabulous, the bonus was being about 40 miles away

Thank you. I will follow this up although downcast by the wait. I also have had another one recommended called Autism Unravelled. Any more would be great but huge appreciation for those responses.

I've just heard back from them. 9 months wait & £3000. I was so hoping for soon & not going bankrupt! So hard to know what to do when NHS takes so long & won't help facilitate a private one locally.

Maybe if you reposted giving your approximate location in the title, you might get some helpful responses? There are a lot of private diagnostic services/small practices that only operate in a particular area.

We're going through autism assessment on the NHS now. We were strongly advised by the GP not to go down the private route because, in her words "I've never seen anyone not diagnosed as autistic by these organisations. The assessments aren't worth the paper they're printed on".

I do get how hard it is to manage a DC behaviour whilst you're waiting but if there's suspicion of private diagonses by health professionals, I'd wait for the NHS.

Just check that whichever clinic you use follows the NICE guidelines.

We got a private assessment via a local Ed Psych. It helps if it’s someone who has worked with NHS before. Assessment done within 10 days, referred to local panel, met with NHS psychiatrist and confirmed diagnosis 11 months after asking the initial questions. Getting the initial assessment done so quickly was the key to the whole thing falling into place.

Depends were you are? I can recommend somewhere in Essex.

I'm going down the autism assessment pathway with one of my kids. I don't know if this is correct or not but I've been told a private diagnosis is sometimes disregarded by schools and other healthcare professionals and an NHS one is regarded as more legitimate.

Our GP recommended Lorna Wing and they were very helpful. DD is very good at masking and GP said she was unlikely to get through triage in our area as she was 'too well behaved with no behaviour issues outside the home, self harm or school refusal ' 🙄. LW assessed - 8 month wait due to covid. They do lots of work for the NHS so no-one can argue that the diagnosis isn't real 🤔

I'm based in Nottingham but more than happy to travel. Daphne Keen is no longer accepting new patients, which is a shame. Another one I've come across is Mind Therapies in Cambridge if anyone has any comments on them. Website seems very robust & they do face to face only not video as some seem to. Nice or rather not nice to know other people in the same boat.

@Domino1

I'm based in Nottingham but more than happy to travel. Daphne Keen is no longer accepting new patients, which is a shame. Another one I've come across is Mind Therapies in Cambridge if anyone has any comments on them. Website seems very robust & they do face to face only not video as some seem to. Nice or rather not nice to know other people in the same boat.

Autism Essex, based in Colchester are fantastic, Ds had his diagnosis face to face recently. They follow NHS guidelines so is fully accepted.

www.essexautismservice.com/ Just checking you meant this one as some similar names. Thanks so much

Apologies it is the one you have linked too.

@PineappleWilson

We're going through autism assessment on the NHS now. We were strongly advised by the GP not to go down the private route because, in her words "I've never seen anyone not diagnosed as autistic by these organisations. The assessments aren't worth the paper they're printed on".

I do get how hard it is to manage a DC behaviour whilst you're waiting but if there's suspicion of private diagonses by health professionals, I'd wait for the NHS.

I agree to a point. I totally understand why people look at a private assessment however, I am on a local support Facebook page and it’s very obvious that a certain local paediatrician will if you pay to see them at the local private hospital will write whatever you like. (The also work for the NHS)

Mind you the parents that go to him just want a diagnosis as they have already decided their child has autism regardless of any assessment.

If the NHS guidelines are followed, there should be no issue.

I totally understand your desire to go private, it took 3 years for NHS to diagnose my daughter, 3 years wasted where she could have been better supported and accommodated. We went private for her younger brother as we could not face that again. No issues getting his private diagnosis recognised. We chose based on feedback from local support groups about which providers had had their diagnoses recognised by our local authority and NHS Trust. It is worth asking around locally to ascertain this information. We went with AXIA who are based in Chester but also have a satellite practice in Sheffield. About 3 months from initial enquiry to receipt of written report. Good luck.

I'm follow up to all of this I've been trawling online & am confused with the choice. Also I wanted a broader neuro diversity assessment done as suspect ADD & Tourette's too & don't want to put ourselves thru & pay for multiple assessments as the autism ones seem to - quite naturally - focus on just autism. Anyone else come across this or can offer a thought?

Try Everlief in West Wycombe. Though I don't know what the waiting time is, or the current cost...

We went here and paid £1200 6 years ago and they were wonderful www.berkshiretherapy.co.uk/specalist-assessments

We’re having to go private for my dd as the go basically wasn’t interested even though two therapists have said it’s something she should look into. The lack of funding and support in this area is appalling