ADHD & Autism Assessments for Children & Young People
ADHD and Autism Assessments
It is difficult as a parent to know the best next steps if you suspect your child or young person may have autism or ADHD. It can be a long wait to access these assessments in the NHS, but there is so much offered privately how do you know you are getting the right assessment with experienced professionals? Seeking an assessment for your child is a big decision and a substantial financial commitment, so you need to feel confident that the assessment is being carried out by a team of professionals you can trust.
Our clinicians approach ADHD & Autism assessments not only as professionals, but from a personal perspective, with many of us having accompanied child and adult family members through their diagnosis journeys.
At Shore Psychology we offer a staged approach to assessments with the aim of making the process more flexible, empowering and price-conscious for our clients.
We strive to ensure we are always supportive and collaborative, ensuring you feel listened to, respected, and understood every step of the way. Our processes are thorough and professional, following National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
Prices for ADHD and Autism Assessments
for Children and Young People Under 18
| Assessment Type | Price |
| Stage 1: In-Depth Initial Screening Assessment for Adult ADHD and/or Autism | £240 |
| Stage 2: Full Diagnostic Assessment for Autism | £1710 |
| Stage 2: Full Diagnostic Assessment for ADHD | £1300 |
| Stage 2: Full Diagnostic Assessment for Autism and ADHD | £2700 |
For Children & Young People who wish to pursue medication as a treatment the fees for support with Edinburgh Psychiatry are detailed below
| Appointment Type | Price |
| Initial Consultation (1 Hour) | £425 |
| Medication (Titration) Follow Up (30 mins) | £250 |
| Routine 6 – 12 Month Follow Up (30 mins) | £250 |
For more information about our fee structure, please get in touch and one of our clinicians will contact you
ADHD & Autism Assessment processes for Children & Young People
The process for ADHD & Autism Assessments for Children & Young People are outlined below.
(A more detailed breakdown of the processes can be provided on request)
Stage 1: In-Depth Initial Screening Assessment for ADHD and/or Autism
What is it for?
This helps us advise you as to whether a full assessment for ADHD and/or Autism is recommended.
If screening indicates that your child or young persons difficulties are not related to ADHD and/or Autism, we will explain this to you and review your options.
If this happens, a Stage 2 Diagnostic Assessment is not required.
What happens next?
- We will send you and/or your young person questionnaires to complete. Your clinician will review these before meeting with you.
- You and your clinician will meet with you and your child/ young person to discuss your current experiences.
- We will provide you with the outcome of your child/ young person’s screening assessment, and discuss options with you.
To enquire about an assessment please complete our referral form
Stage 2: Full Diagnostic Assessment for ADHD and/or Autism
What is it for?
If our In-Depth Screening Assessment indicates that significant traits suggestive of ADHD and/or Autism have been present throughout your life, we will advise you to continue with a Full Diagnostic Assessment. To ensure we comply with NICE guidelines, we can only offer a full diagnostic assessment as a follow-on to an initial screening assessment that has been carried out by us.
What happens?
- With your consent, your clinician will contact the school your child/young person attends, and ask the most appropriate person (most often the class teacher) to complete some questionnaires . There will be some further questionnaires for you to complete before the appointment.
- You will meet again with your assessing clinician for completion of appropriate further assessments and discussion of your experiences. This will include a detailed developmental history. Another clinician will join for some of this to help provide a thorough assessment.
- Your clinician will arrange an appointment to meet with you and your child to help the clinician observe any potential traits of autism or ADHD. This may include a standardised assessment tool such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) for assessments of autism. This will be discussed with you and your child beforehand.
- With your consent, a clinician from Shore Psychology will conduct an observation of your child in their classroom.
- The clinicians who have been involved in your child’s assessment will hold a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) discussion of the information we have to decide whether your child meets diagnostic criteria for autism and/or ADHD. This is in line with best practice guidelines.
- We will provide you with the outcome of our full assessment, and discuss options and our recommendations with you.
- With your consent, we will contact your child’s school to update them on the outcome of the assessment and provide tailored recommendations for support.
Next Steps:
If your assessment identifies that your child/young person meets the diagnostic criteria for ADHD and/or Autism, there are several options for further support. These include:
- Medical support for ADHD – we have a partnership with Edinburgh Adult Psychiatry who can support you through medication titration.
- Non-medical support such as Coaching, Psychological Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, or Occupational Therapy – we can provide these services, or signpost you to other organisations that provide these services.
- Peer and other support – we can signpost you to organisations that offer other types of support, including peer support fr children young people and parents.
To enquire about an assessment please complete our referral form
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