Do you have problems in reading the emotions of those around you?
Are you very sensitive to certain noises, sounds, tastes or textures?
Have you experienced difficulty in expressing, and controlling your emotions?
Then perhaps you should consider an assessment for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Autism or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition, that affects how individuals communicate with others, and understand the word around them. More than 1 in 100 people are in the Autism spectrum in the UK, and there around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK1.
Each individual with ASD is different, but common difficulties can include problems with understanding social communication, engaging in restricted and repetitive behaviours, excessive sensitivity to sound, taste, touch or light, irritability and behavioural issues.
Receiving a diagnosis of ASD can help you access support for your condition, and help you understand yourself better. Individuals can experience lengthy delays in obtaining an ASD assessment with 86% of those referred, waiting longer than the recommended 13 weeks for their appointment. There are almost 175,000 people currently on the waiting list for an ASD assessment in the UK, and this number is on the rise.2
Read on to learn more about our comprehensive and rapid ASD assessment service!
Your journey for an ADHD assessment with Eton Psychiatrists starts here! If you want to proceed with an assessment, or if you want more information before deciding, contact our dedicated team of medical secretaries and clinicians at info@etonpsychiatrists.co.uk or 020 4586 8616.
We will aim to respond to your query within 72 hours by email. If you have an urgent query, please do not hesitate to call us. If the query is of a clinical nature, we will contact one of our dedicated psychiatrists to ensure that all your questions are answered promptly, and in full. If you then decide to proceed with an assessment, we will then ask you for some information, to help your psychiatrist prepare for your appointment.
Your psychiatrist will want to know a little bit about you, and the symptoms that you have been experiencing, in order for the assessment to be focused on your difficulties.
We will send a small number of brief questionnaires that evaluate the presence of different ASD symptoms, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It is also helpful to hear from those close to you, about any ADHD symptoms that you have experienced. We will ask for someone who knows you well to complete a brief questionnaire; this could be a friend, flatmate, spouse or other relative.
We will also ask for a questionnaire to be filled in by someone who had parental responsibility for you. If you have any difficulties in finding the right people, don’t worry just let us know!
With your permission, we will also write to your GP / ask you to provide us with a summary of your medical history, as well as completing our registration form and providing us with a form of ID.
This might sound like a lot to do! We keep our questionnaires as brief as possible, and our team will provide you with clear information on how to complete the pre-assessment forms. They should take around 1 hour to complete in total.
Whilst you are completing your onboarding, let the team know about your availability for an assessment, whether you would like to have the assessment remotely, or face to face, and if you have a preference for a particular psychiatrist that you would like to see. We aim to offer assessments within 2 weeks of your enquiry.
You are now ready for your assessment! One of our team will provide you with an appointment link, or directions to our Harley Street clinic. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions leading up to your appointment.
Prior to your appointment, your psychiatrist will have reviewed all your pre-assessment information, and will spend some time in the assessment getting to know you better.
Your psychiatrist will ask you questions about any current symptoms of ASD. For example, difficulties with social communication, and how they might be impacting upon your work, your study, or your home life. They will also enquire about these symptoms in childhood, and other aspects of your background, such as your education, employment, relationships, and medical history.
All of this will allow your psychiatrist to deliver a comprehensive ADHD assessment, meeting or exceeding NICE guidelines. At Eton Psychiatrists, we use the Royal College of Psychiatry Diagnostic Interview and Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) to ensure that our assessments are robust and are completed to the highest standards.
In the large majority of cases, your psychiatrist will be able to come to a conclusion as to the diagnosis in the assessment. Occasionally, more information will be required. If this is the case, this will be clearly explained to you, and a further feedback appointment will be offered free of charge to discuss the diagnosis once any further information has been reviewed.
If a diagnosis of ASD is made, your psychiatrist will outline to you some guidance as to next steps. This will include information about lifestyle changes, psychological therapy, and other resources to help with symptom management.
At Eton Psychiatrists, we pride ourselves on our high level of post-diagnostic support.
Your psychiatrist will then start work on your detailed assessment report which will be delivered to you within 2 weeks of your appointment.
If you require proof of diagnosis more urgently, a brief letter will be provided to you within 48 hours.
Please carefully read your report, and let one of our team know if you want to request any amendments.
If you have any further queries about your report, or diagnosis, then please do not hesitate to contact us!
