Gold-Standard Autism assessments for children and adolescents
in Wimbledon, Epsom, and online.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
01
Book your first appointment and pay £300. We send you some screening questionnaires and spend an hour with one or both parents (children aged 13+ may attend this), in order to make sure that an Autism assessment pathway.
02
If an Autism assessment is not right for your child, we will give you feedback about what we think difficulties are related to, and suggest a pathway forward. If you don’t proceed, we give you a summary letter.
03
If you proceed with the full assessment, we send you the rest of the questionnaires to be completed. Forms will be completed by you, your child (if over 13), and the school. You may assist them with their forms. We ask for copies of school reports where available.
04
We book your child in for another 1-2 hour appointment (this can be in person or online, and we would like your child to be present), and then we ask you and your child to attend an hour long in-person appointment to complete an ADOS-2.
05
Our team meets and collates all of the information we have gathered to make an evidence-based diagnostic conclusion and write a detailed report. This normally takes 3-4 weeks. If we need more information from any sources, we will contact you to arrange this.
06
Once the report is complete, the lead practitioner on the case will book a feedback session with you (your child must be present if over 13), where we will go through the outcome of the assessment, and talk through specific recommendations.
What will it cost?
First Appointment (1 hour) £300
This forms the first part of an assessment. It ensures that an Autism assessment is right for your child. The fee is payable upfront, and deductible against the total fee for an assessment if you proceed with us.
AUTISM Assessment £2000
ADHD and AUTISM combined £2800
These costs are all-inclusive and there are no hidden costs.
What does a good quality assessment for Autism Entail?
A Gold-Standard Assessment for Autism will integrate the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines used by the NHS to ensure every assessment is clinically rigorous. Because Autism often overlaps with other conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or trauma, we move beyond a simple checklist to perform a deep, bottom-up investigation. This process ensures your diagnosis is accurate, robust, and meets the highest medical standards recognised by healthcare professionals.
Meeting the diagnostic criteria
Guided by the DSM-5-TR, we explore your child’s neurotype in meticulous detail. We move beyond behaviors to look at the underlying markers of Autism, including unique communication patterns and the way your child naturally gravitates toward specific interests or repetitive routines.
01
evidence of symptoms across multiple contexts.
Autism is a consistent neurological blueprint. NICE guidelines require evidence that traits are present in different settings. We triangulate information from home, school, and social environments to understand how your child adapts to different demands and where they might be masking to fit in.
02
A thorough developmental and medical history
Because Autism is neurodevelopmental, its roots are present from birth. We conduct a detailed interview to map early milestones and a comprehensive developmental history. We advise that your child has a medical check with your GP before an assessment. This ensures we consider physical health, such as hearing or sleep, alongside neurodevelopment to provide a safe and accurate clinical picture.
03
A multidisciplinary perspective
NICE guidelines state that for child and adolescent assessments for Autism, either a Clinical Psychologist, Paediatrician, or Psychiatrist must be on the assessment panel, and assessments should not be done by one practitioner. We have a Clinical Psychologist involved in every assessment, and your child will be seen by usually two HCPC registered practitioners.
04
Measuring functional impairment
The DSM-V states that the symptoms must cause “clinical significant impairment” in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. Children with Autism are often eager to please, and follow instructions well. They can impress teachers by their ability to follow (explicit instructions) and asking astute questions. Others find it difficult to know where to start, and find the idea of getting into trouble overwhelming. We look past the performance to see the hidden cost, which often look like after-school meltdowns and exhaustion.
05
06
Use of validated clinical tools
NICE states that no single tool should be used in isolation. Gold-standard tools should be use to inform an opinion alongside a thorough developmental history. In the UK, the ADI-R (a structured parent interview) and ADOS-2 (an observation based set of tasks) are the most widely used tools, and we incorporate both into our assessment process.
A thorough differential diagnosis
DSM-V criteria state that in order to be diagnosed with Autism, we have to show that the symptoms cannot be better accounted for by another condition. Because Autism can overlap with other conditions, we have to consider the whole picture and look at all possibilities related to mental health. We also look at co-occuring conditions. (Note that if you are only being assessed for Autism, we won’t make a diagnosis of ADHD, but we will recommend further assessment if flags come up.)
07
A comprehensive action plan
NICE guidelines recommend an individualised and comprehensive support plan, considering your child’s unique strengths and challenges across home and school life. We create a detailed support plan that considers your family and your child’s educational context. We include actionable recommendations that can be put in place to support your child’s challenges, and help them leverage their strengths.
08
We are proud to say
we meet all of the above criteria
In all of our Autism assessments in Wimbledon and Epsom, we follow the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Our Gold-Standard assessments are rigorous, regulated, ethical, and widely accepted by the NHS and across the UK.
We also support individuals seeking Autism assessments from nearby areas including Kingston-upon-Thames, Morden, Mitcham, Roehampton, Putney, Sutton, Esher, Chessington, Banstead, and Leatherhead.
Understanding your child’s unique Brain
At Sage Psychology, we believe that Autism is not a "fault" in the brain’s wiring, but a different kind of operating system. There are strengths to be celebrated, and challenges to be supported. Research shows that the Autistic brain processes information differently, allowing them to see incredible detail, as well as creating intensity. By understanding how your child’s brain is uniquely wired, we can move away from trying to manage behaviours, and put some strategies in place to address their core needs. Here are some of the core differences in the Autistic brain, and what they mean.
Information is processed through the prefrontal cortex
In a neurotypical brain, social cues are processed automatically in the Limbic System. In the Autistic brain, these signals are often rerouted through the Prefrontal Cortex, making processing social cues a much more manual and tedious process.
What this can look like in autism:
May miss social cues that seem clear to others, until they learn that certain facial expressions, gestures, and body language are associated with specific meaning.
Often won’t know what is expected of them socially unless they are told explicitly.
Older children can become astutely accurate in analysing subtle changes in social cues of people they know well.
Tendency to take things at face value and miss sarcasm.
Communication tends to be direct and blunt.
Intense exhaustion after social situations, especially where masking is high.
Pattern Recognition is a superpower
Research shows the Autistic brain features intense local hyper-connectivity in the sensory regions. This means that the brain captures and processes more detailed data within these specific areas. The result is that the autistic brain is hard-wired to recognise patterns.
What this can look like in autism:
Highly detail-oriented; spots subtle details others miss.
Tend to ask very astute questions, and always seeking to understand how things work.
Tendency to be good at solving logical problems. Maths is often a strength, and puzzle solving or musical sequencing can come easily.
Young children repeat the same sequence in play over and over again.
Monotropism and deep interests
The Autistic brain tends to channel its energy into a few high-intensity interests rather than spreading it across many surface-level topics.
What this can look like in autism:
Excellent recall of detail and facts.
Interests can be intense and feel obsessive.
Likes to engage with others over their interests, but less engaging over other topics.
Will watch the same film or read the same books repeatedly.
Will have a wide collection of items related to their interests.
The Sensory filter is reduced
In a non-autistic brain, the Thalamus acts as a filter in a process called corticothalamic gating, where it filters out what sensory information can be ignored, and what information is important. MRIs on autistic brains have shown that this filter is reduced, which means more sensory information gets through the gate to the cerebral cortex.
What this can look like in Autism:
Can be sensory seeking in some areas and sensory avoidant in others.
Clothing can be very uncomfortable.
Can have strong food aversions, and distinct preference for certain food textures.
Public or crowded places can be overwhelming - younger children may becomes distressed when shopping and hide under the table at parties.
May smell and taste things others don’t.
May avoid touching certain textures, or specifically seek others.
Hair brushing can be painful.
Hyperarousal and overthinking
Because the Autistic brain is constantly busy with pattern recognition and sensory processing, it can stay in a state of hyper-arousal, and find it very difficult to switch off.
What this can look like in autism:
Difficulty falling asleep.
Vivid dreams, sometimes disturbing.
Lots of questions, especially at night.
Even when the body is tired, the brain is still scanning and interpreting information.
Tends to revisit the same questions repeatedly if they haven’t found a satisfactory answer.
Bottom-up Processing
While neurotypical brains "fill in the gaps" using prior expectations, the Autistic brain builds its understanding from the ground up, starting with raw data first before making any conclusions.
What this can look like in autism:
Often has to be given direct and explicit instructions.
Struggles with vague or generic instructions that require them to assume anything.
Young children will play with parts of a toy rather than the whole thing. For example, they may be fascinated by spinning the wheel of a car rather than pretending to drive the car on a track.
Often unsure what a question is asking in tests, and will get stuck on finding the “correct answer”.
Tendency to struggle with making inferences in subjects like English and History.
Switching attention is a real challenge
In many Autistic children, the brain's executive function works differently. Executive functioning is the ability to start, stop, and switching tasks. This makes transitions much more difficult.
What this can look like in autism:
The child can appear rigid or stubborn.
Being asked to change tasks before they are ready can lead to a meltdown.
Telling them exactly what the plans are for the day ahead makes things significantly easier.
An unexpected change in plans can be a trigger.
Emotions run quickly
The Amygdala is the brain's alarm system. In Autistic children, this alarm can be hyper-reactive. Because they process so much sensory and logical data, the brain can quickly perceive a small change or a sensory "clash" as a major threat.
What this can look like in autism:
Intense emotional outbursts.
Can be difficult to comfort once upset.
Gets very fixated on something that upsets them, and will loop repeatedly to the point of exhaustion.
Reasoning can be difficult in the moment, but afterwards, reasoning can be helpful.
Getting an assessment isn’t about the diagnosis.
It is about increasing your understanding of the nuances of your child’s inner world.
Once you have a better understanding of how your child’s brain is wired, how they process information, and how they experience the world, you and your child are better equipped to implement some bespoke strategies that can help you support their challenges and play to their strengths.
Our Assessment team
Our team are all HCPC registered, highly specialist, and work in a neuro-affirming way.
Dianne Everitt
Clinical Psychologist
Kelly Berry
Counseling Psychologist
Stephanie Ford
Counseling Psychologist
Eleanor Alexander
Speech and Language Therapist
Post-Diagnostic Support
Once a diagnosis of ASC has been made, you may require therapeutic support.
Our team of psychologists in Wimbledon and Epsom and online across the UK, work closely with Autism and may be able to offer therapy after the assessment, depending on availability.
If a diagnosis is not made, we will go through the overall picture of your child’s mental health with you, and explain why the diagnostic criteria were not met.
Autism in High achievers (&Women/Girls)
High achievers are particularly good at masking, and can work effectively to come across at neurotypical. The hidden cost of this is mental health.
Trying to mould into a neurotypical world when you have Autistic traits can lead to frequent cycles of burnout, health difficulties, and chronic mental and emotional overwhelm.
Our Psychologists understand the nuances of Autism in high achievers, and are excellent at seeing past masking strategies. Our specialist autism assessments in Wimbledon and Epsom can provide a clear diagnosis and valuable insights, empowering high achievers with the understanding and support needed to thrive.
Unsure if an assessment is right for you?
Book a free chat and we will gladly guide you.
