Autism Assessment Service

We are now able to offer an Autism Assessment Service at The Speech Therapy Practice. We appreciate that when you are concerned about your child, being able to access professional help in a timely and effective way is important. We have partnered with a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist to work with us in creating an assessment service for school age children and Adults.

We hope that the information below will help you to decide whether we may be able to assist you.

We are happy to offer you a free discovery phone call to discuss the process of an Autism Assessment.

Ready to contact us?

Please click here to contact us for further information.

We will send you some further details, a link to our pre appointment questionnaire and an invoice. Once we have received the pre appointment questionnaire we will offer you a free discovery call.

During this call we will not be able to give you any specific advice, but we will be able to outline the assessment process for diagnosis and to clarify the clinical indicators for Autism. This will take place via Zoom.

Once the invoice is paid (either in full or initial instalment) we will arrange to send information to school and schedule a case history appointment.

“Before I began the process for my daughter, I looked into the professionals that would be helping with the diagnosis for my child. They were all very professional, warm, welcoming and had a way of making both myself and my daughter feel very comfortable, even if we were both somewhat anxious.”

“The honesty, transparency, helpful links and information were particularly helpful and supportive”

If your child is demonstrating behaviours that are consistent with autism, it can be reassuring to get a definite diagnosis. With this you can move on from the unknown and pursue the right support. A diagnosis of autism can open the opportunity for better understanding of your child’s needs and behaviours. With a diagnosis of autism, you can pursue improved support within the education system to meet your child’s unique needs. You will also be able to access support from Social Care and Continuing Health Care. A diagnosis can enable you to implement strategies and support to help your child on a day-to-day basis. A diagnosis allows you to connect with a community of families and who understand what you are going through and with whom you can share support and information. A diagnosis allows you to connect with local organisations that can offer support groups, respite and other activities.

Your child’s age. A child under 5 will need a diagnosis from a paediatrician. A child over five can receive an assessment and diagnosis from a team qualified and experienced in using the ADOS assessment. If your child does not have autism you may be left searching for a greater understanding of why they are having problems and how to access the correct support. The assessment process is long and complex. You need to have the ability to engage fully - sometimes other issues in life preclude this. An assessment and diagnosis is only one piece in the puzzle; it won’t lead to a quick fix or any immediate change in your situation. If you seek an assessment via the NHS you need to be prepared for a long wait as services are facing a high demand. (it’s advisable be referred sooner rather than later in our opinion) If you seek a private assessment the cost is significant.

We are all passionate about supporting children and young people to reach their potential. We have many years of experience working with Autistic children and young people. We have many years of experience carrying out the ‘gold standard’ ADOS Diagnostic Assessments. We all have professional accreditation and are regulated by our professional bodies and the HCPC. We all have DBS and professional indemnity insurance. Our service has been set up in line with the NICE National Framework for Autism diagnosis. You can read more here. We have a clinic in Kings Heath Birmingham which is easily accessible with parking available. We have no waiting lists and can start the assessment quickly and efficiently. We are able to receive payment in three instalments.

There are several different ways that we will gather information to help the assessment. Some of this will be with you on the phone or via Zoom, we will observe your child in school, and we will ask you, and your child’s school, to complete some questionnaires. We will also see your child for a face-to-face assessment at our clinic in Kings Heath. This appointment will take about 1 – 1.5 hours. Your appointment will take place at SISU Therapy Centre: 274 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath Birmingham. B14 7NH

The cost of the Assessment is £2,205. This is an Introductory price for bookings made in 2023. This can be paid in one instalment at the time of booking or it can be paid in 3 instalments. Payment one at the time of booking (£735) Payment two prior to the clinic assessment (£735) Payment three before the meeting to discuss the report (£735)

What are the steps in having an assessment and how long might it take?

Expect the whole process to take around 4 weeks. This may be longer if we have difficulty scheduling appointments (particularly with school) or if there are delays in receiving information.

By special arrangement we may be able to get the assessment and report completed in a shorter timeframe however this would only be possible if all parties are able to provide information quickly.

In some cases, the time frame will be longer.

We will send you out information in written form.

We can arrange for one of our consultants to call you and explain the process of assessment.

We will take a detailed developmental history from parents (this is usually done over the phone).

We will ask your child’s school to provide information about your child.

One of our team will visit your child in school to observe their abilities and difficulties.

We will invite you and your child to our clinic in Kings Heath where we will carry out the ADOS Assessment.

Our team will meet to discuss all of the information we have gathered.

A comprehensive report will be produced outlining our findings and recommendations.

Our consultants will call you to discuss the report before it is finalized.

“Since getting the report, changes have been made at school and at home! “

About Us

“Their skill set is fantastic, very knowledgable and you can tell they have been doing this for a very long time. For me in particular, Poli Begum was brilliant.”

Poli Begum

I am a Consultant Chartered Psychologist with 22 years NHS, international, charity and private sector experience. I regularly assess for various Psychological, Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive conditions. I have completed specialist training in the diagnostic assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and specialise in the assessment and diagnosis of individuals who mask symptoms, particularly the nuances of autistic females. My approach to therapy is friendly, compassionate, client centred, and non-judgemental. I strongly believe that everyone has the right to live an enjoyable and fulfilled life and I see my role as providing the client with the support they need to achieve their goals. My theoretical approach is integrative, drawing upon my training in many psychological modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), personal construct psychotherapy (PCP), DBT, mindfulness and narrative therapy. I also have Masters level qualification in NLP and EFT. Throughout my career to date I have gained experience working in a range of settings and with a range of presentations. The predominance of my NHS employment has been within children’s mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services. Alongside this I have also gained specialist experience in multicultural systemic services with families and adults.

Penny Thompson

I am a specialist speech and language therapist with 35 years’ experience working almost exclusively with children between the ages of 3 and 19. I have worked largely in the NHS, and more recently have joined the private sector. For many years, I have completed neurodevelopmental assessments alongside colleagues including psychologists and paediatricians. Prior to this, I worked in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, carrying out speech and language assessments and interventions in a multidisciplinary team. I am trained and experienced in the administration of the ADOS assessment.

I believe that therapeutic skills should demonstrate compassion and competence, and I am trained in Solution Focused Approach and Personal Construct Psychology which I have used in my work with the neurodiverse population. I have a clinical interest in selective mutism and autism in females.

My clinical experience has included special education, pre-school special needs, both community and hospital based, and special needs in mainstream.

Lucy Watkins

I am a speech and language therapy assistant working to support my colleagues in the Autism Assessment Service. My role is to gather information from families and schools. I have experience working in clinic and educational settings with children who have a wide range of communication difficulties.