Yes. As with face-to-face assessments, an online assessment uses the same nationally recognised assessment tools and is based on diagnostic criteria (ICD-11 and DSM-5). At the Divergent Path we also will use your pre-screening assessment questionnaires to help inform your developmental history. All assessments are completed by specialist clinicians.

We do not need a referral from a Health Professional. If you are interested in an assessment, please contact us via email or using the web form on our website. We will then send you information about our screening and assessment process and availability so that you can decide whether to proceed.

All our services are electronic. We will predominantly correspond with you via email unless otherwise agreed for other methods of correspondence. Your online assessment will be via Microsoft Teams. We will send you a link to this when we book your assessment.

You will usually be seen by one clinician. After you have completed your pre-screening assessment questionnaires you will be told who your specialist clinician will be when you book your assessment appointment. All clinicians are highly experienced in diagnosing adults in NHS settings and have formal training in NICE recommended Gold Standard diagnostic tools including the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO), the Autistic Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), the Autistic Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), The Autism Clinical Interview for Adults (ACIA) and The Diagnostic Interview for ADHD Adults (DIVA-5).

All our clinicians are grounded in a neuroaffirmative approach, which is collaborative, supportive, theopoetic, and respectful. In addition, they recognise the importance of intersectionality factors such as gender, LGBTQIA+, race, and culture. They are also experienced in assessing women and their unique challenges, particularly those who have learnt to mask effectively.

Paying privately for an assessment does not guarantee you a diagnosis. We are aware that private assessments are costly. We have developed our screening procedures to enable us to provide some early feedback to you on whether you may, or may not, meet the diagnostic criteria during a full assessment. This avoids you having to pay for assessment when you do not neccessarily need one, and allows you to consider waiting for an NHS assessment.

Please be aware that diagnoses are made by clinical decision, on a case-by-case basis. Where individuals have a complex presentation, the final decision will be made based on multi-disciplinary discussion of the complexities. In these cases, we may not be able to predict diagnosis based on our screening tools and may only decide that you do not meet the criteria after the full assessment and multidisciplinary discussion.

Many of the traditional assessment tools reported in the NICE guidelines were developed for assessing children by collecting information from their parents or carers. Early diagnostic criteria also over focused on having detailed information about an individual’s early childhood development.

Over recent years the international diagnostic criteria (ICD 11 and DSM 5) have changed to be less prescriptive regarding evidence of traits in childhood. It can be helpful to have additional information from someone who knows you well, or who remembers your childhood, however if this is not available it would not prevent us from undertaking a comprehensive assessment.

It is also helpful if you can provide any historical information, such as school reports and medical history.

The assessment can take place in any setting that you feel safe and comfortable in. You will need to consider confidentiality throughout the whole assessment, so you should choose somewhere that you will not be disturbed.

A single assessment for Autism or ADHD typically takes 3 hours (with breaks if needed) but it can take longer. A combined assessment for both Autism and ADHD may need two assessment sessions. Please discuss any breaks you may need with the assessor.

If you feel that this will be too long for you, please let us know when we book your appointment. You may need to attend further appointments if all the information cannot be collected at your first appointments.

Having someone that knows you well in the assessment can often help to give important information, so you are welcome to invite someone to support you.

You will be asked some questions about yourself, when you were a child and about you now. During the appointment the clinician will talk to you about how you talk and interact with other people, how you behave in public, what you like to do and how you fill your day. The assessment is not a medical examination, you do not need to be examined physically and you will not be asked to give any samples, such as blood. This is why we can undertake the assessment online.

It can vary. Sometimes the clinician will be able to tell you when they have finished your appointment. Sometimes you will not be given the results of your assessment on the day of your assessment. If they do not tell you on the day, they will contact you to tell you the outcome of the assessment.

The clinician will email you a draft copy of your report for you to read. You might have to wait a while before the report arrives. The report summaries what you have talked about and identifies areas that are diagnostically significant. You will be offered a follow-up appointment to talk about your report and any changes that you might want to make. Your follow-up appointment will be arranged via Microsoft Teams. If you do not want a follow-up appointment you can email your clinician to confirm you are happy with your report, or to discuss any changes that you may want to make. Once your report is agreed your clinician will send a copy to your GP, if you want them to.

During your follow-up appointment we would be happy to discuss any additional post diagnostic support, that you might need. Additional consultancy is charged by the hour.

It should be noted that we do not provide a prescription service. If you have a stand alone ADHD assessment, that confirms a positive diagnosis, you may want to consider medication. If you do, we can refer you to our clinical partner, Dr. Mark Broadhurst, Consultant Psychiatrist. Further information can be found here. 

The cost of a pre-screen, full autism assessment and report is £1,000.

The cost of a pre-screen, full ADHD assessment and report is £900.

The cost of a combined, full autism and ADHD assessment and report is £1,600.

The assessment is divided into two separate stages with two separate payment milestones.

Stage 1 - The cost for a pre-screening assessment is £275 payable when you return your pre-assessment questionnaires.

Stage 2 - The cost of a full autism assessment, including one follow up appointment (if needed), and a full report is £725.

Stage 2 - The cost of a full ADHD assessment, including one follow up appointment (if needed), and a full report is £625.

Stage 2 - The cost of a combined autism and ADHD assessment, including one follow up appointment (if needed), and a full report is £1,600.

Payment is to be made 48-hours before your assessment appointment.

Payment milestones are listed within our terms and conditions.

We will send you an invoice detailing payment at each milestone. Invoices are usually sent in advance of each milestone.

If you have an agreed source of funding, such as from your employer or a charitable organisation, please inform us at the time of payment so we can invoice accordingly.

You can pay the entire amount in advance if you prefer.

Payment to be made by BACS.

Payment can also be made by PayPal, but an additional 3% cost will be incurred. Please let us know so we can invoice you correctly.

We do not currently have arrangements in place with health insurance providers although we may consider this in the future. If you are wishing to use your insurance, you will need to contact your provider to find out if they will cover payments. If they do, you will need to pay us directly and claim your payments back from them. If this changes we will update the website.

Please click on the link titled Privacy Policy for detailed information including who you need to contact for further information or if you have concerns your data is being mishandled.

If you are not happy with the outcome of your assessment you can ask for a clinical review (or second opinion) by our multidisciplinary team. The Divergent Path provide a very detailed assessment report, so you that you can share your report, if you choose to, with an independent clinician.