No, the FREE screening is exactly that … FREE. We provide feedback, with recommendations, but it is entirely your choice if you take your enquiry with us any further.
FREE online screening for Autism
(including the PDA profile)
As part of our comprehensive assessment service for Autism, we offer a free online screening service to help determine if your child has signs of possible Autism. This screening has been developed based on decades of combined experience and assessing thousands of individuals. Within our feedback we always use the caveat ‘possible’ until we can formally assess an individual face to face, or online. Our three-step process for Autism assessments for children is as follows:
- Initial FREE screening
- Initial Consultation (optional)
- Formal Assessment
Further details of the process are outlined below
1 - Free Screening
Our initial free screening involves the parent completing an Autism initial screen (Please click the link ‘Begin the screening’ to access this). Our Autism screening tool helps us to see if your child may possibly be Autistic.
Once you complete the online screening, we provide our feedback via email.
2 - Initial Consultation (optional)
If the initial screening only shows limited possible signs of Autism, then prior to a formal assessment we would suggest an initial consultation with one of our clinical team to discuss matters further.
This is priced at £100. If it is considered there is sufficient possible evidence to carry out a full assessment, and that assessment is subsequently booked with us, then we provide a £50 discount on the normal assessment price to contribute towards the cost of the consultation.
If we see strong evidence of possible Autism at the screening stage, we may suggest parents opt out of the consultation step, and consider going straight to a formal assessment. This does of course enable them to access an earlier appointment and reduce their costs. (It is important to note that the initial consultation does NOT provide a diagnosis, nor a report).
3 - Formal Assessment
As part of our Autism assessments, unlike some Autism assessment providers, we also include within our price a cognitive assessment. A cognitive assessment is not an essential part of an Autism assessment but it can be very useful. Most neuro-typical children have reasonably similar abilities in the different areas of the assessment (e.g. verbal and non-verbal reasoning, working memory and processing speed). Many Autistic children will have an uneven or ‘spiky’ profile of strengths and difficulties. Some may be extremely able verbally but struggle in many other areas.
They may have difficulties retaining and manipulating information or copying information off the board. Others may have significant language difficulties but process non-verbal information much more efficiently. Results of a cognitive assessment can be shared with school and used as supporting evidence to help towards securing an EHCP.
If your child is a girl you may also be interested to know that our clinical director, Dr Judy Eaton, has written a book titled ‘A Guide to Mental Health Issues in Girls and Young Women on the Autism Spectrum: Diagnosis, Intervention and Family Support’, which was commissioned by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (The book can be viewed on our Recommend Reading page).
Frequently Asked Questions
No, we don’t share the details with any third parties.
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