Gold-Standard Autism assessments for adults
in Wimbledon, Epsom, and online.
Understanding the Autistic Brain
Research has shown that the Autistic brain’s software is wired differently. This leads to some remarkable strengths associated with Autism, as well as some real challenges. Understanding how your brain is wired is the first step toward putting some structures and strategies in place to support your challenges and leverage your strengths.
Information is processed through the prefrontal cortex
In a neurotypical brain, social signals (tone, eye contact, facial expressions, body language) are processed automatically in the Limbic System. In the Autistic brain, these signals are often rerouted through the Prefrontal Cortex, which is the seat of logic and conscious thought. Rather than being able to interpret social signals in an automated way, the autistic brain will analyse and interpret patterns in a very calculated way.
What this can look like:
Social cues are astutely calculated in the Autistic brain. Interpretations of social cues made through the prefrontal cortex can be highly accurate, but at the same time, leads to a high level of energy expense. This can lead to intense exhaustion after social situations, because the brain has been working much harder at interpreting information with accuracy. Communication tends to be direct, and others can interpret you as blunt.
Pattern Recognition is a superpower
Research shows the Autistic brain features intense local hyper-connectivity in the sensory regions, particularly the Occipital Lobe (visual) and the Temporal Lobe (data and sound). 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, the brain sees high resolution input and can spot details that others often miss. You will spot the error in the spreadsheet, the spelling mistake, or the subtle shift in someone's tone. Others rely on intuition, but you rely on evidence based logic. Your observations are often more astute than others, but because your brain prioritises every detail, it can take you longer to see the bigger picture.
Neural pruning is reduced
During childhood, the brain undergoes synaptic pruning, whereby synaptic pathways that are no longer needed are pruned to make space for new pathways. In the Autistic brain, this pruning is less intense. More of these original neural pathways remain active and intact. This results in high-fidelity memory storage, where early neural "maps" remain preserved rather than being overwritten or faded by time.
What this can look like:
This leads to associative thinking, where you can instantly retrieve a fact or a memory from years ago. Cross-disciplinary thinking comes easily, seeing how a problem in one area mirrors a solution in another. While this makes you a walking encyclopedia for your interests, it can also lead to "mental clutter," making it difficult to prioritize which information is the most important in the moment. Childhood memories can feel a lot more charged as they are more vivid due to the brain holding onto those neural associations. This is why childhood memories can feel so painful for many Autistic individuals.
The Sensory filter is reduced
Sensory information is processed through the brain’s Thalamus, and then moves to the cerebral cortex, where it is felt. 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 to pay attention to. 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:
Because your brain is processing much more sensory input, your system experiences sensory overwhelm much more easily. When the Cerebral Cortex becomes overloaded with sensory input, sounds, smells, lights, or touch can feel physically painful. Because the brain is working so hard to process extra sensory input, and making a conscious effort to try and block it out, it can lead to autistic burnout. Crowded places can feel very distressing.
Monotropism and deep interests
While a neurotypical brain is "polytropic", spreading attention thinly across many different channels, the Autistic brain allocates attention and interest in a deep, concentrated tunnel. When you are in this state, your brain's Arousal System and Prefrontal Cortex are fully synchronized, creating a powerful ability to focus and absorb significant levels of detail.
What this can look like:
When you are engaged in an interest, you enter a flow state so deep that your body tunes out of internal cues like hunger and thirst. This deep focus allows you to retain facts and achieve a level of knoweledge that others cannot easily reach. You prefer to go really deep on a few topics of interest rather than exploring a broader range at a surface level. While doing something new can feel overwhelming, once you understand how a system works, you become exceptionally good at repeating the process with near perfection.
Bottom-up Processing
Top-down processing is when the Prefrontal Cortex predicts what information means before the information is complete, filtering out details to save energy. The Autistic brain relies on bottom-up thinking, using the Sensory Cortex to process every individual data point first. The brain doesn't assume; it meticulously assembles every piece of incoming information before forming a conclusion.
What this can look like:
You don't make assumptions, but build conclusions based on raw data. This makes you an exceptionally objective and analytical problem-solver. You ask a lot of questions, and if you don’t get the right answers, you can get stuck on how you are supposed to move forward. Your brain is constantly looking for the correct way of doing things, and it is easy to get lost and overwhelmed by the level of detail you need to make decisions.
Getting an assessment isn’t about the diagnosis for the sake of it. It is about increasing your understanding of the nuances of your brain. Once you have a better understanding of how your brain is wired, how you process information, and how you experience the world, you are better equipped to implement some bespoke strategies that can help to support your challenges and play to your strengths.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
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Book your first appointment and pay £300. We send you some screening questionnaires and spend an hour with you, in order to make sure that an Autism assessment in right for you.
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If an Autism assessment is not right for you, we will give you feedback about what we think your difficulties are related to, and suggest a pathway forward. If you don’t proceed, we give you a summary letter.
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If you proceed with the full assessment, we send you the rest of the questionnaires to be completed. You will complete most of them, and we will ask a parent or a close friend/partner/relative to complete one form.
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We book you in for another 2 hour appointment (this can be in person or online), and then we ask you to attend an hour long in-person appointment to complete an ADOS-2.
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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.
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Once the report is complete, the lead practitioner on the case will book a feedback session with you, where we will go through the outcome of the assessment, and talk through specific recommendations.
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
This is guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (DSM-V). We go through the criteria in meticulous detail to determine whether the markers of Autism are present. These include differences in communication patterns, as well as restricted or repetitive interests or behaviours.
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evidence of symptoms across multiple contexts.
Autism is a neurological blueprint, meaning it is present everywhere. We look at how you experience environments you are comfortable in versus those you are uncomfortable in. We typically consider work or school, home life, and relationships as the broad contexts for our investigation.
Evidence of Symptoms since childhood.
We go through your developmental history in detail. While some adults have "masked" their traits for years, the neurological roots are always present from the beginning. This distinguishes Autism from other mental health conditions that often emerge later in life.
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A multidisciplinary perspective
This is a core requirement of the NICE guidelines. A high-quality assessment involves more than one professional to provide a comprehensive view. We have a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist on every case, and always validate our diagnostic findings as a team.
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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, with C-PTSD, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety having high levels of overlap. (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.)
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Measuring functional impairment
The DSM-V states that the symptoms must cause “clinical significant impairment” in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. This is where high masking becomes relevant. High achievers with Autism can look very functional, so a good assessment will look beyond what yoyu appear to be achieving, and see the hidden signs of an inner cost. We often see a high prevalence of burnout, exhaustion, and sensory overload in high masking Autism, which can go easily unnoticed by others.
Use of validated clinical tools
NICE guidelines state that no single tool is adequate to diagnose Autism, but that the use of validated tools should be chosen to confirm clinical findings from a detailed clinical interview. We use a unique selection of Gold-standard tools that we determine on a case-by-case basis, including the ADOS-2, ADI-R, and ACIA. These tools provide an objective framework to support our clinical findings.
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A comprehensive action plan
NICE guidelines recommend a "comprehensive report" and a "documented profile" of your unique strengths and needs across social, educational, and occupational settings. A quality assessment must include an individualised support plan. We include actionable recommendations for workplace reasonable adjustments and sensory management, ensuring your diagnosis is a foundational tool for building a sustainable, neuro-affirming life.
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.
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 you. 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 online/in person £2800
These costs are all-inclusive and there are no hidden costs.
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
After a Diagnosis
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 avaialability.
If a diagnosis is not made, we will go through the overall picture of your mental health with you, and explain why the diagnostic criteria were not met.
Unmasking for the high achiever
And how Autism can look different in women
Autism often presents differently in women, girls, and high achievers who have developed sophisticated masking strategies. Masking is a learned safety mechanism, where the brain works very consciously to mould and mimic social cues, body language, scripts and behaviours in an attempt to be more socially acceptable. While this allows for professional success, the hidden metabolic cost is immense, leading to chronic mental and emotional overwhelm.
When masking is high, Autism can be more difficult to see. Instead of the more obvious signs of Autism, what we tend to see in these individuals is a very deeply buried hidden cost. Burnout, chronic exhaustion, depression and anxiety are common conditions that high-masking Autism can hide beneath. In a thorough assessment process, we often ask about the hidden and unseen cost of certain behaviours in order to see beneath the surface.
Our specialist assessments in Wimbledon and Epsom are well versed in these mechanisms, and competent in seeing beneath masked Autism.
Unsure if an assessment is right for you?
Book a free chat and we will gladly guide you.
