Autism Assessment for Children

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Autism Assessment

What is Autism?

Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition which affects more than 1% of the population. (This information was taken from the National Autistic Society Website) Many families and young children have a stigma that Autism is an illness or a disease. Autism impacts the way many younger children and adolescents communicate and interact with the world which can affect some aspects of their quality of life, and they may face certain challenges such as sensory difficulties and social interaction & communication.

If your child is Autistic receiving a diagnosis will help them and those around them to have a better understanding of their behaviour and create a environment in which they can thrive. It will help to identify and ensure they receive the correct level of support in their educational settings and within their family homes. The Autism assessment within Minds Matter Clinic will help to identify therapeutic interventions which the family can implement but also help to identify local support for both your child and family.

Key Signs of Autism

Autism can impact children and young people in many ways. Some of the main challenges that parents have often identified in early development / current development are:

High levels of distress and emotional outburst due to changes within routine

Difficulty understanding what other people are thinking or feeling

Struggling in social interactions such as making friends

Difficulty expressing their own thoughts and feelings

Sensory difficulties towards noise, taste, smell, or touch

Intense interest in certain subjects or activities

Repetitive behavior and movements

Emotional challenges

What is a Autism Assessment?

We aim to make this process as simple as process and a dedicated clinician will be allocated throughout your journey at Minds Matter Clinic. Our overall goal is to ensure that you receive results within a few weeks and prevent long waiting lists for appointments. Here at Minds Matter Clinic, we offer appointments 7 daysa week between 8am-8pm. Our experienced clinicians will carry out your child’s assessments either face to face or using our digital platform.
The assessment involves 2 key appointments:

1. ADOS 9 Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule)

2. ADI (Autism Diagnostic Interview)

Completing Questionnaires

We use gold standard diagnostic tools to ensure your child’s Autism Assessment is of the highest qualities. These questionnaires will get a better understand the signs of your child’s needs, with consent of parents and guardians we will also ask your child’s school/college to fill in the questionnaires.

Observation

ADOS Assessment (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule)

The ADOS Assessment with our experienced clinicians normally takes from 45mins to a hour. During this appointment our clinician will conduct a series of activities and questions with your child to help get a better understanding of how they interact with others. There is no right or wrong way in completing the assessment but simply a opportunity to learn more about your child.

ADI (Autism Diagnostic Interview)

The ADI (Autism Diagnostic Interview) is a developmental history taking interview with the parents/guardian, the interview helps our clinicians to gain a better understanding about the child’s educational, developmental and medical history. It also gives a chance for parents and guardians to talk openly about their child’s behaviour. Here at Minds Matter Clinic, we offer both virtual and face-to face appointments catering to the family’s needs.

Receiving the outcome and discussing next steps

Once all assessments have been completed our team will have a multi-disciplinary meeting to discuss their findings and decide on the outcome of the assessment. A report will be created to evidence to whether a diagnosis criteria has been met or not. The outcome will be accredited by a consultant psychiatrist. We will then arrange for a feedback session to talk through the findings discuss next steps and answer any questions you might have.

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