Questions about our Psychology Services
Specialist Psychological Assessments and Support Questions
Where are you based?
We are based in York. You are more than welcome to have an assessment if you live further away; please note that one appointment always takes place face to face at our office space.
What age range do you work with?
We work with both adults and children; we can explore autism with children aged four and above, and ADHD with children aged six and above.
For autism assessments we will consider assessing children between 4 and 6 if they have had input from a paediatrician. Ordinarily our assessments exploring autism and/or ADHD start from the age of 6 upwards.
Which professions will be involved in my assessment?
We have a growing multi-disciplinary team that currently includes Clinical Psychology, Consultant Psychiatry and Speech and Language Therapy. We involve professionals that will compliment each assessment and this will be discussed with you during the screening appointment.
Do you automatically share reports with my GP?
No, you decide who your report is shared with.
Do I need a referral?
No, you do not need a referral to seek an assessment or therapeutic support with us. We do accept referrals from GPs, other healthcare professionals or schools, alongside self-referrals.
I find certain adjustments help me to feel comfortable in appointments; can you incorporate these into the assessment process?
Absolutely.
I am a parent seeking an assessment for my child, but I am separated from my child's other parent; how does the assessment work?
Legally, the consent of one parent is needed to proceed with an assessment; however, we strongly recommend that both parents are aware and involved in the assessment. We can facilitate separate parental discussions if this is helpful for you and your family without extra charge.
Do I need to tell my child about the assessment?
Helping a young person to understand why they are coming to the appointment often helps them to feel comfortable to engage with the process and it also often enables them to feel able to share their perspectives on their strengths and difficulties.
When do I pay for my assessment?
We require payment at the time of booking in order to confirm pre-assessment consultation appointments. If you decide to proceed to a full assessment after the pre-assessment consultation appointment, we require a £250 booking deposit (taken off the cost of the assessment fee) to secure the appointments, and the balance of the assessment fee must be paid no later than 14 days before the first appointment. Please see our fees page for our current fees.
If I pay for a neurodevelopmental assessment, does this guarantee I will receive a diagnosis?
We complete thorough, collaborative assessments that explore whether a person’s experiences can be understood through neurodivergence. This sometimes leads to a diagnosis as an outcome, but on other occasions, the team may conclude that the evidence does not suggest that your experiences can be understood through neurodivergence. The outcome of the assessment will be shared with you and the reasons behind this will be explained. Regardless of the outcome of the assessment, a comprehensive report will be written and shared with you, which will include recommendations to support you going forward.
If I receive a diagnosis of ADHD, I would like to explore medication. Is this something you can provide?
If I receive a diagnosis from an assessment, will this be accepted by NHS Services?
We have an excellent track record of services, including NHS services and local authorities, accepting our assessments, conclusions and reports.
However, we cannot guarantee acceptance by external bodies, which may have their own criteria and policies for recognising diagnostic reports. We recommend discussing specific requirements with any relevant third party prior to commencing the assessment process with us.
I am an adult seeking an assessment but I do not have anybody such as a parent who could provide information to inform the assessment; is this a problem?
It is always best if an assessment can include the views of both you and someone who has known you from childhood; this can be a sibling or friend, or a parent. However, if it is not possible to include an informant in the assessment, then this would not mean an assessment could not happen. Please contact us for more information if this is something you are concerned about.