Why adults seek an autism assessment
People come to autism assessment at many different points in life. You may have wondered for years whether you are autistic, or the possibility may have arisen more recently through work, relationships, therapy, another diagnosis, or recognising similarities in someone close to you.
At Illumina, we provide private autism assessments for adults in Brighton and Sussex. Assessments are carried out jointly by two HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologists, Dr Dan Stevens and Dr Jess Stock.
What does an adult autism assessment involve?
There is no single test that can determine whether someone is autistic. A comprehensive assessment brings together information from different parts of your life and considers how well the overall pattern is explained by autism.
Our assessment usually includes background questionnaires, a detailed developmental assessment, a face-to-face appointment including structured autism assessment such as the ADOS-2 where appropriate, and additional clinical discussion about your current experiences.
Both psychologists then bring the information together before reaching a conclusion. No single questionnaire, observation or ADOS-2 score determines the outcome.
What if my situation is complicated?
Many adults reaching assessment have already spent a long time trying to understand themselves. You may have previous diagnoses such as ADHD, anxiety, depression or OCD, a history of trauma or significant mental-health difficulties, or experiences that do not fit neatly into one explanation.
That does not make autism assessment inappropriate. It makes careful clinical thinking more important. We consider possible coexisting or alternative explanations as part of the assessment rather than treating them as separate from it.
Developmental history
Autism is developmental, so understanding childhood and adolescence matters. Where possible, we ask for information from a parent or another person who knew you when you were young. Historical material such as school reports can also be useful.
If no parent or developmental informant is available, that does not automatically prevent an assessment. We consider what other evidence exists and are transparent about any uncertainty.
What happens after the assessment?
We meet with you to discuss our conclusions and how we reached them. You also receive a written report bringing together the assessment findings, our clinical understanding, the diagnostic outcome, and recommendations or useful next steps.
Sometimes an assessment results in an autism diagnosis. Sometimes the evidence points somewhere else. Either way, we want the process to leave you with a clearer and useful understanding of yourself.
Face-to-face appointments usually take place at Brighton Consulting Rooms near Preston Park Station. The standard assessment fee is £1,750.