Autism Assessments for Teenagers
Many teens experience differences in social communication, sensory processing, or routines. If you notice these in your teen, a private autism assessment can provide clarity, understanding, and specialist guidance. Our autism assessments for teenagers help families understand how their teen experiences the world and identify practical strategies for support.
We’re with you every step of the way
How a teenage autism assessment works
Our autism assessments are a structured, supportive process conducted by a multidisciplinary team specialising in neurodevelopment. We gather information from home, school or college, and structured observation to produce a clear and reliable assessment that helps families understand their teen’s needs and strengths. These are the stages of the autism assessment process:
Screening
Our screening step helps determine whether a full diagnostic assessment is indicated. It involves a clinician-led review of current experiences, history and presenting concerns. After screening we explain the options so you can decide whether to proceed to a full assessment.
Information Gathering - school/college report
To understand how you experience the world in different settings, we request a school or college report and a structured questionnaire completed by a teacher or tutor. This helps us understand communication, sensory needs, routines and social interaction. If you’re not currently in education, we ask someone who knows you well outside the family to provide this information.
Assessment
Our teenage autism assessments are multidisciplinary and carried out by clinicians experienced in neurodevelopmental assessment. The assessment typically includes a developmental history interview with parents or carers, structured observations, and standardised measures. We consider social communication, sensory processing, repetitive patterns, and masking behaviours. Findings from all sources are integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of your teen, which informs the recommendations we provide.
Diagnostic Report
You'll receive a clear, detailed diagnostic report explaining whether or not you meet criteria for autism. It covers every part of the process, from developmental history to observations and analysis, and includes tailored recommendations for support at school, home and beyond. Our assessments follow NICE guidelines, so your report will be accepted by schools, the NHS and other services.
step
Support
Following the assessment, families receive practical guidance and strategies tailored to their teen’s profile. This may include educational adjustments, sensory strategies, communication support, and advice for managing daily routines. Our goal is to help parents support their teen in navigating everyday life confidently and successfully.
Understanding autism in adolescence
What is autism in teenagers?
Autism is a form of neurodiversity that can influence how teenagers process information, communicate, and navigate social situations. In adolescents, signs may look different from earlier childhood and often become more noticeable as social and academic demands increase. You might see things like challenges interpreting unspoken social rules, relying on routines to feel settled, feeling overwhelmed in busy or unpredictable environments, experiencing strong sensory responses, or appearing socially confident while feeling exhausted from masking. Some teenagers also develop deep, absorbing interests that help them focus or regulate. Recognising autism in the teenage years can bring clarity for families and educators, helping everyone better understand your teen’s needs. It also opens the door to practical support and adjustments that make school, relationships, and daily life easier to navigate.
Getting assessed
What are the benefits of acting now?
Waiting to explore concerns may mean delays in accessing appropriate adjustments and support. Many people mask their needs for years and only seek assessment later. An autism assessment helps families understand their teen’s unique profile, access appropriate support, and plan for the future. It can also make planning for college, apprenticeships or work easier by clarifying support needs. Private autism assessments for teens are straightforward to arrange. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch. Get in touch to find out more.
Sensory sensitivities
Sensory sensitivities
Autistic children can be very sensitive (hyper-sensitive) or have low levels of sensitivity (hypo-sensitive) to certain senses. This can mean they avoid some foods, clothes, noises, or smells or seek them out in a way that can interfere with daily life. A simple hug can cause huge discomfort for an autistic child because of how it physically feels to be touched or in very close proximity to another person. As it’s not always easy for younger children to articulate this, it can become very challenging for parents to understand a child’s sensory needs. Having a diagnosis can begin a more informed conversation around those needs and help the young person to stay regulated and happy.
Social isolation
Social isolation
Being autistic doesn’t necessarily mean that your child doesn’t want any friends, but it might mean that they prefer social contact on their own terms. So maybe team sports or hanging out with friends are not activities that bring any pleasure. This could be due to how confusing social communication can be, the sensory overwhelm from lots of people talking or just wanting to avoid looking different. While we might feel having contact with friends is healthy (and it often is), exactly how we encourage autistic children and young people to socialise is worth considering.
Disconnection from the family
Disconnection from the family
If children and young people don’t derive the same shared pleasure from activities as their parents or siblings do, they can distance themselves from ‘normal’ family life. Being autistic means that family occasions, parties or any group activity can be draining and anxiety-provoking. This might be because of sensory overload or overwhelm at all the social communication happening around them.
Understanding if a child is autistic helps us to better understand why they don’t enjoy these kinds of events and to support them to engage on their own terms, even if that’s not what others might want or expect from them.
Deep interests
Deep interests
Autistic children and young people can develop very passionate and deep interests in certain topics. Because they’re able to engage in these things so deeply, they can become experts at a young age! They might want to tell their parents, siblings or friends about what they know as it is so important to them. They can often see that their special interest has relevance in everything and might keep bringing the conversation back to it. This can be very difficult for those around the child as things can get very repetitive! However, knowing this comes from being autistic can really help. We can learn to embrace those special interests and use them as a way of effective engagement and communication, rather than feeling the need to inhibit them.
Testimonials
Some words from our adolescent patients
To give you an idea of how we work and how we might help you.
The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease.
We went to the children's centre to get my son aged 17, a private assessment. From the start the staff were informative and helpful. The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease. In fact he even asked when we were going back! After negative experiences with the NHS and school, my son felt that he could finally access support that was right for him. Thank you 😊
Would highly recommend Psicon for any assessments
Absolutely amazing with my son, very easy to talk to and my son loved interacting with the staff.
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional.
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional. Thank you for listening and helping my son to be as comfortable as possible. You were so attentive to his ways and the consultant, speech and language therapist had extensive knowledge and were able to pick up on things I wasn’t even aware of. The support throughout was amazing, everything was explained in detail and I would definitely recommend Psicon to others. Thank you again.
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable and informative. They managed to put my anxious daughter at ease. They listened carefully, and were responsive to what we were saying. They also gave helpful suggestions to think about with the school and within the family.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're here to answer your questions
Taking the first steps to understanding why your child feels different, unhappy, or is struggling takes courage. We’re here to help you make sure you find the right support for your child and your family.
What if I’m not autistic?
If the assessment does not indicate autism, we will explain the findings clearly and give recommendations based on the difficulties identified. Many adolescents benefit from support with communication, anxiety, sensory needs or social understanding, whether autistic or not.
My teenager's school has no concerns. Will this affect the assessment?
Not necessarily. Some teenagers present differently in school, and some behaviours may be more evident at home or in other settings. We consider home life, developmental history and direct observation alongside school input to ensure a balanced assessment.
Will the diagnostic assessment be accepted by my school or college?
Yes. Our assessments fully comply with NICE guidelines and are carried out using a highly regarded clinical model. Importantly, you will be seen by a specialist clinician (a paediatrician or psychiatrist) as part of the assessment, which is not always the case with other private assessments. We are a trusted NHS provider and often work with NHS Trusts and ICBs to support waiting lists. This means a diagnosis from our service is generally accepted by both the NHS and schools or colleges to support adjustments and tailored support.
Get in Touch
We're with you at every step
Every teenager’s mind works differently. If you have concerns about your teen’s social communication, sensory processing, or daily functioning, our private autism assessments provide families with clarity, understanding, and practical strategies to support your teen’s wellbeing and success.