Private Autism Assessment Services
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents uniquely in each person. A formal autism assessment can help you or your family member move forward with confidence.
Whether you're seeking understanding for yourself or your child, our team is here to help guide you through this journey. We offer online autism assessments across the UK where clinically appropriate, as well as in-person assessments at our clinics in Kent and Hampshire.
The most suitable format will depend on age, service type and clinical need.
We’re with you every step of the way
What happens in an autism assessment?
To provide the most appropriate support, we first need to understand your own or your family member's unique neurodevelopmental profile. Our experienced team will perform a thorough autism (ASD) assessment in order to determine if autism is part of you or your child's story.
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1
Screening
Our free screening process provides initial clarity and insight if you're exploring whether you or your family member might be autistic. Our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist, will review the information provided, and if the screening indicates autism may be present, we'll recommend a formal diagnostic assessment.
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2
Information Gathering
We gather information from multiple perspectives to understand patterns of behaviour and interaction across different environments. For children, this includes input from their school, or in some cases, another professional who know your child well. For adults, we ask someone who has known you since childhood to provide information about your early years. This comprehensive approach helps our clinical team better understand your own or your child's unique strengths and needs.
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Assessment
Our ASD assessment approach is tailored according to age and individual circumstances. For children, a multidisciplinary team including clinical psychologists, speech and language therapists, and a paediatrician, or child and adolescent psychiatrist, work together, using play-based activities and natural interaction - using ADOS-informed clinical observation to understand your child's communication style and social engagement. Parents share their perspective on their child's developmental journey, which is supplemented by a school report from their teacher.
Our specialists discuss all findings using established assessment methods. For adults, an expert clinical psychologist or psychiatrist conducts a thorough interview exploring your life experiences. Since autism can present similarly to other conditions, our job is to differentiate between them, focusing on understanding your social interaction patterns, communication style, and sensory experiences across different environments - from relationships to work. Our specialists take time to explore your personal history, ensuring you feel heard throughout the process. Both approaches conclude with a detailed discussion of findings and an opportunity for questions, ensuring that you or your child feel heard and understood.
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Diagnostic Report
Working closely together, our team will produce a comprehensive report providing a clear and detailed breakdown of the assessment. The outcome will be straightforward and easy to understand, and the report can be shared with your child’s school to support a positive and informed conversation about the diagnosis. As our autism assessments are fully NICE compliant, you can be reassured that our diagnostic reports are recognised and accepted by both the NHS and education systems.
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Support
Whether autism is identified or not, our expert team will guide you or your child through all the available support options. These include therapeutic support packages provided by clinical and counselling psychologists within our wellbeing service, tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
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Who we help
With expert assessment and compassionate support, both children and adults can embrace their authentic selves and thrive. Our team is here to guide your journey.
Our assessment services are available to adults and children either at our clinics in SE England, or online throughout the UK where appropriate.
Children
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If you think your child may be autistic, a private autism assessment can provide clarity and a greater understanding of how they experience the world and what support will help them thrive at home, in school and with friends. Our team of specialists consider your child's developmental history as well as questionnaires filled by their school, or another person who knows them well, to build a full picture.
Adults
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Recognising signs of autism in adulthood can be a life changing experience. An in-person or online autism assessment can help you make sense of your experiences. A consultant clinical psychologist will carry out a thorough clinical interview, with clear reccomendations and ongoing support to help you move forward with confidence.
Cherishing unique minds
What is autism and why get an assessment?
Neurodiversity is an inherent part of human variation - a natural expression of our species' diversity. Being autistic means your neurological functions are organised differently to neurotypical people, offering both unique perspectives and potential challenges. A private autism assessment is the first step to understanding your own or your child's distinctive way of experiencing the world. When these differences aren't recognised or understood, it can lead to significant challenges in daily life. Through assessment and diagnosis, we can provide appropriate support and strategies that help autistic people, and their families move forward with confidence and authenticity.
What to expect from our autism (ASD) assessments?
At Psicon, we recognise that autism can present differently from one person to another, so our ASD assessments are devised to build a detailed picture of each individual.
Online or in-person assessments: We offer online autism assessments where clinically appropriate, with in-person appointments at our clinic in Kent and Hampshire.
Expert-led autism assessment: Every assessment uses ADOS-informed clinical observation and a NICE compliant approach, so our diagnostic reports are recognised by schools, work and the NHS. They are also delivered by our dedicated clinical specialists.
Ongoing support and guidance: Whether or not autism is identified, you receive a comprehensive report with a breakdown of the assessment and guidance on the next steps, including therapeutic support packages, provided by clinical and counselling psychologists.
Specialist clinical team: Our multidisciplinary team of clinical psychologists, speech and language therapists, or occupational therapists, as well as paediatricians or child and adolescent psychiatrists are highly skilled at recognising signs of autism.
What are the signs of autism?
You may be experiencing…
Although autistic people share some common experiences, every person's neurodevelopmental profile is unique. Because each person presents differently, a careful autism assessment builds a clearer understanding of their needs.
Sensory sensitivities
Sensory sensitivities
Autistic people tend to have either a higher or lower (hyper or hypo) threshold for their senses. Noises that neurotypical people wouldn’t even notice can be intensely annoying and aggravating. Being around lots of noise, like in a restaurant or on a busy street, can cause a level of stress that might feel unbearable. And once back home, that person may need time to calm down.
In the same way, some autistic people find physical touch very unpleasant, even if it’s affectionate. Also, many struggle to find food with a taste or texture they like.
These sensitivities can be very distressing for the individual and very difficult to understand for others but are often a fundamental part of being neurodiverse. Once understood, they can be adjusted for.
Being misunderstood
Being misunderstood
Autistic people may communicate or respond differently from others, sometimes leading to feeling misunderstood at school or work and finding social situations difficult to manage. This can be tiring and isolating, and many autistic people mask their traits to fit in. Identifying as autistic helps schools, workplaces, friends and family understand and make the right adjustments.
Difficulties in relationships
Difficulties in relationships
Relationships can be difficult for autistic people, as understanding others' needs and having their needs understood is not always easy. A child might find making friends and group play hard, while an adult may feel drained by socialising or struggle to connect with their partner. Understanding autism helps everyone find common ground.
Strong preference for routine
Strong preference for routine
Feeling more comfortable with familiar routines and predictability is common. Unexpected changes or unfamiliar situations can be difficult to manage and feel unsettling for children and adults. Recognising this helps family, school and workplaces provide structure and space that let an autistic person thrive.
Testimonials
Here's what our patients have to say
Our autism assessments have helped thousands of patients over the years, and here are some of their thoughts.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're here to answer your questions
We operate with the highest quality clinical standards and fully comply with NICE guidelines throughout our service. We regularly partner with NHS Trusts and ICBs to support their waiting lists as a trusted provider. For child assessments, we ensure a doctor - paediatrician or psychiatrist - is part of the process; a standard that isn't universal across private services. With these rigorous standards in place, our assessment outcomes are readily accepted by the NHS, schools and colleges
In some situations, meeting in person allows us to build a fuller and more accurate understanding. This may be recommended where:
- a child is very young or may find it difficult to stay engaged online
- there are more significant communication differences
- behaviour needs to be observed in more detail
- the presentation is more complex or unclear
If we feel an in‑person assessment is the best approach, we will always discuss this with you and explain our reasoning.
Having made thousands of autism spectrum assessments, we understand it presents differently in each individual. Our assessments are designed to recognise masking and camouflaging – particularly common in females. Our team has extensive experience in identifying the female presentation of autism across different ages, understanding that some characteristics may be less visible in certain contexts or situations.
We typically ask someone who has known you for a long time to provide additional information as part of the assessment process, which helps us understand your earlier life experiences. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5), one of the key criteria for an autism diagnosis is evidence that characteristics have been present since early development. However, we understand that some people may not be able to find someone who can provide this historical information. While having this information is helpful, not having it won't prevent the assessment from going ahead. In such cases, we encourage you to bring any available documentation that could provide insights into earlier experiences or development - such as school reports and other relevant records.
We aim to provide an autism assessment appointment within four to six weeks of receiving all pre-assessment information. The timeline often depends on how quickly we receive completed questionnaires from all relevant parties (such as family members, schools, or other professionals who know you or your child well).
Our online autism assessments follow the same clinical process as our in‑person assessments. The only difference is that online assessments are delivered via secure video consultation rather than in a clinic.
There is no difference in price between online and in‑person assessments.
For many people, online appointments are more convenient. They remove the need to travel and allow the assessment to take place in a familiar environment, which can help individuals feel more comfortable and relaxed.
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We're with you at every step
Everyone's mind processes information differently. Some people are neurodivergent, processing attention and activity in ways that differ from what's typically expected. While these differences can bring challenges, we believe that with understanding, empathy, and expert support, everyone can thrive. Whether you're seeking a private ADHD assessment for yourself or your child, our support teams are here to help guide your journey.
Please note that you are submitting an enquiry for Psicon’s private service, where the assessment is self-funded. If you are seeking an NHS-funded referral or wish to access the ‘Right to Choose’ pathway, please click here and request a referral through your GP.
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