Clinical Diagnosis
The vast majority of my clients are women who wish to have clarity about whether they are autistic, from someone who follows diagnostic guidelines and is trained to identify female autism. Most clients are seeking an assessment for their own peace of mind and validation that there is nothing "wrong" with them.
Unlike ADHD (or other conditions) autism is not a condition that requires medication, although symptoms such as depression or anxiety may be medicated. However, some clients might wish to have a clinical diagnosis if they are planning to seek out disability benefits or, for instance, apply for Student Disability Allowance. Whilst many GPs recognise my assessment as a clinical diagnosis, I cannot guarantee that it will be recognised as such or that it will be recognised if someone is applying for disability benefits.
If you do wish to arrange for a clinical diagnosis, the steps are as follows:
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Your initial assessment will be carried out by me, in the same way I conduct all assessments.
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You receive a report from me and follow-up appointment.
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A further Inter Discplinary Team (MDT) meeting is arranged between you, myself and a clinical diagnostician.
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You will receive a further report which is clinically recognised.
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I will only suggest that you pursue a clinical diagnosis in this way if you clearly meet the diagnostic criteria for autism.
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An additional fee of £450 is required to access this service and there will be a gap between your initial assessment with me and the MDT.
Q&A
I'm not sure whether I need a clinical diagnosis or not?
My assessment will provide you with a very clear "yes" or "no" as to whether you meet the criteria for autism. For the majority of my clients, this is enough to give them the confidence to review their life through a new lens and put into place any practical measures they feel they need. It also meets the requirements of workplaces. I have also had many clients who have asked for my assessment to be clinically recognised by their GPs who have readily accepted it. I cannot guarantee this, however, and particularly for clients who might wish to seek out disability benefits they might require a clincial diagnosis to do so. The clinical diagnosis is fully recognised by the NHS.
Do I book the clinical diagnosis at this point?
No. Firstly, you'll have your appointment with me. It's important that I, as part of the clinical Multi Discplinary Team (MDT) feel that you meet the criteria for autism and can present this within the meeting alongside my report. There is a possibility that, following your appointment with me, I do not feel you meet the criteria for autism, in which case I would advise against a further appointment. This can save you time, money and emotional investment.
How much is the additional appointment and how long will it take?
There is an additional fee of £450 to arrange this service. I will set up and arrange the appointment and payment. We will try and arrange the MDT as quickly as possible, but the meeting can take up to a few weeks or months to arrange. In the meantime, you will have had your assessment with me and will be able to confidently move forwards as an autistic person whilst waiting for the MDT.
How long with the clincial diagnosis appointment take?
Much of the work for a MDT goes on behind the scenes, including going over my findings in advance of the meeting The meeting itself should take lesss than an hour.
I'm outside of the UK - can I access this service?
Whilst you are very welcome to access a non-clinical assessment with me, the clinical stage of the assessment is only available to clients in the UK.