Step 1:

Initial contact and questionnaire

Before moving forward with a full assessment, parents, carers, or individuals are invited to complete a questionnaire. This helps us understand their concerns, the child or young person’s presentation, and relevant background information. We then review this to decide whether a full assessment is appropriate.

Step 2:

Pre-assessment session

We begin with a welcoming pre-assessment session with the clinical psychologist — a relaxed conversation to get to know your child’s developmental, family, and clinical history. Understanding how your child has developed over time is an important part of an autism assessment and helps us build a clear picture to guide accurate assessment and support.

Please bring along any school or medical reports you have, as well as information about who referred your child.

Step 3:

- Online assessment

Parents or caregivers will participate in a structured interview using the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised (ADI-R). This standardised assessment tool helps the psychologist gather detailed information about your child's developmental history, communication skills, social interactions, behaviours, and areas of difficulty in relation to the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The ADI-R typically takes approximately two hours to complete and can be conducted  online.

- In-clinic assessment

During this session, we use the ADOS-2, a standardised assessment designed around your child’s age, using play-based activities and conversation to observe communication, social interaction, and behaviour in a natural way. The duration of this assessment varies based on the child's age and typically lasts between 40 to 60 minutes.

- Observations

We also undertake home and/or school observations as part of the assessment process, where appropriate. These observations provide valuable information about how your child interacts, communicates, and functions in familiar environments and across different settings. Information gathered during observations helps to build a comprehensive understanding of your child's  everyday experiences, strengths and challenges.

Step 4:

Feedback and recommendations

A session where we share the assessment outcomes and provide a comprehensive written report. We will talk through the findings together, answer any questions you may have, and agree on practical next steps so you feel supported and clear about the path ahead.