Neurodevelopmental Services

How can I find out more? 

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You can book a Free Initial Telephone Consultation with one of our Clinical Leads, which can be booked here

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How does the process work? 

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We recommend a Pre-assessment interview with one or two of our clinicians e.g. Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, depending on the nature of the assessment. This appointment will help you to decide whether a formal diagnostic assessment is indicated and helps reduce the likelihood of unnecessary assessments. If clinically appropriate, and you would like to proceed, the next stage would be to carry out a formal diagnostic assessment using structured standardised assessments. These assessments are carried several appointments.  Where possible, we use multiple sources of information i.e. medical records, previous reports, school liaison (if applicable). Assessments with children often require additional appointments for school / home observations or interviews with other adults caring for the child as sources of collateral information.

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What Structured Assessments do you use? 

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The assessments we use follow recommended guidelines. This includes the use of NICE recommended 'gold standard' structured assessments such as the ADOS-2 and ADI-R, to support autism diagnoses and the ACE, and DIVA-5 to support ADHD diagnoses. Structured assessments will be determined based on clinical relevance. ADHD Assessments now also include a QB check. 

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Do you use any other Tools to guide your assessments? 

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Our Assessments draw on a range of sources of information, including the use of a various diagnostic screening tools which may be based on self-report or the reporting of an informant such as a parent or teacher. We also use objective measures such a the QB Check when ADHD is suspected. The measures and tests used will be determined by the leading clinician. If indicated, we also use cognitive assessments to get a better understand of learning differences or support needs. 

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What is a QB Check? 

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A QB check is a computerised test that can only be administered and interpreted by suitably qualified professionals. It provides an objective measurement of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention to aid in the assessment of ADHD. It can also be to evaluate treatment interventions with clients diagnosed with ADHD as it allows us to see where improvements have been made. The test takes between 15-20 minutes, depending on age range. Test results will be interpreted by a Clinical Psychologist and will inform the report and diagnosis.

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What is included in the Initial consultation / Pre-assessment? 

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The Pre-assessment is a consultation to determine which diagnostic assessments are required, if any. Typically, we would recommend an initial appointment with two clinicians, unless there is enough clinical information to indicate otherwise. Prior to the appointment, you will be sent a battery of screening questionnaires, which will be scored and interpreted. You will also be sent a questionnaire to complete with your full developmental and clinical history. If clinically indicated, you may also be asked to complete a QB Test which is a computerised test which provides an objective measure of ADHD. 

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 Following this, you will be contacted to discuss the outcome of the appointment and next steps. If the outcome is that we do not think that a diagnostic assessment is indicated, we would discuss our rationale and other potential next steps. If relevant, we would also discuss alternative diagnosis (es). 

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What is included in the diagnostic assessment? 

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All assessments are led by a Senior Clinical Psychologist and often have multi-disciplinary input. The assessment will include clinical interviews or observations with the person seeking a diagnosis, interviews with informants, review of any reports or medical history. We use a minimum of one structured or standardised assessment typically with the person seeking a diagnosis and ideally with at least one informant (i.e. parent, teacher, partner, friend), depending on what is clinically appropriate. These are tools used to gather further clinical information in a structured way, which is considered good practice. We also use a range of screening questionnaires to look at potential alternative diagnoses to consider.

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Following the assessment, you will receive a comprehensive report with the findings, a rationale for the clinical diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We allow one hour for feedback to discuss the conclusions and recommendations. If appropriate, onward referrals can be made for treatment or further support. This might include joint working with other professionals such as Occupational Therapists (OT's), Speech and Language Therapists (SALT's), or linking in with Psychiatry, for medication, if applicable.

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What is a Cognitive Assessment? 

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A cognitive assessment is an assessment of how someone learns or processes information. It looks at things like differences in how someone processes verbal information and non-verbal information and their reasoning abilities in these domains. It looks at memory abilities and how quickly someone is able to process information. A wide range of cognitive assessments are available, if indicated. Speech and Language assessments are also available. 

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Other FAQ's can be found here