The Assessment Process
at the Laine Clinic
All our assessments are undertaken by a Consultant Psychiatrist and a Specialist Neurodevelopmental Nurse.
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We undertake all our assessments in line with NICE guidance. This should ensure that the diagnosis is accepted by other services, such as local authorities and higher education institutes (such as colleges or universities).
We want the assessment process to be helpful and meaningful. In our assessment, we will consider any difficulties or differences you have experienced in response to neurodiversity, and whether there are any specific recommendations we can make via your diagnostic report which will help you to thrive.
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Please note that our reports are not suitable for use in a court setting. If you need this type of report, then another service dedicated to providing Expert Witness reports would be more suitable.
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A note on cost and screening
We recognise that private autism and ADHD assessments are expensive. As a team we want to make sure our service is right for you before proceeding.
As such we offer a telephone conversation with one of our clinicians to discuss our service and explore your needs, this comes at no cost and no obligation to proceed with assessment.
If you prefer then this can be done through our screening questionnaires and self-report document.
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Please contact us to arrange this, you can email us by clicking here or use our online contact form here.
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Please see the Fees page for more detail.
What happens in our assessments
Our assessments take place in person at Flint Healthcare premises. These are quiet and well-appointed rooms in the Woodingdean area of Brighton.
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The appointment generally lasts around three hours. During this time, we will cover your developmental history and discuss how you have been affected by potential autism / ADHD symptoms throughout your life. We may also screen for other developmental conditions.
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Our team have been trained in multiple assessment tools in relation to neurodiversity. Over the years, we have developed an approach to clinical assessment which incorporates elements of each. In regard to autism assessment, we most closely follow the DISCO assessment model developed by the Lorna Wing Centre. In relation to ADHD, we tend to use the DIVA tool in most cases.
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Where possible, we ask that you bring a family member or someone who has known you from childhood to your assessment with you. This is so that they can provide information regarding your early life experiences. If you have additional information from childhood, such as school reports, educational statements or medical records that may be of help then we welcome having these available to review. We understand that it is not always possible to bring a family member or someone who has known you from childhood. This is not a barrier to assessment and we are used to working with people when this is the case.
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There are three possible outcomes from a neurodevelopmental assessment:
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Diagnosis of Autism / ADHD confirmed: We will provide you with a brief diagnostic letter within 48 hours. We will then compile a full diagnostic report which will be emailed to you and sent to your GP, typically within two weeks.
Diagnosis of autistic / ADHD traits: This indicates that there are elements of autism or ADHD present, but that full diagnostic criteria has not been met. We can still provide details on support / adjustments needed, as we would for any other outcome. You will receive a diagnostic letter and full report.
Autism / ADHD not confirmed: If this is the case, we will look for alternative explanations for the difficulties you have encountered (including any other potential diagnoses). Due to our screening process this is an uncommon outcome. We will provide a full report within two weeks.
