We operate an open-referral system, which means anyone can make a referral as long as they are over 18 years of age and have given their consent. For individuals who are not comfortable with arranging appointments, we are happy to liaise with a nominated person who can do this on your behalf.
Here at The Divergent Path, we recognise that many people would like an assessment but do not want to wait months (or even years). But we also recognise that before you have a private assessment you may be concerned about the assessment, the cost, and if you will be diagnosed as autistic.
This is why the team at The Divergent Path have introduced a two-step process. The first stage is a pre-screening assessment.
A pre-screening assessment is like a mini assessment, although it is not diagnostic. By offering this pre-screening assessment service it helps you decide if a full assessment is for you, without having to initially pay the full cost of an assessment.
We will email you various questionnaires so you can complete them at your own pace. We will also send you an informant questionnaire. This is a questionnaire that can be completed by someone that has known you a long time (such as a parent, partner, etc). It is especially helpful if they can tell us what you were like when you were growing up.
The questionnaires can help us see if a full assessment would be useful.
When you send the completed questionnaires back one of our clinicians will read through them and decide if a full assessment is for you. We will email you to let you know the outcome and give you advice on the next steps. You can still choose to have a full assessment if you want to, regardless of the pre-screening assessment results. You can also decide not to go ahead with a full assessment even if your clinician thinks that you would benefit from it.
If you chose to have a full assessment, we will arrange a convent date and time with you. All our assessments are undertaken online, over Microsoft Teams, with one of our expert clinicians. You can have someone with you to support you if you want to.
We will send you an appointment, with a link to connect to Microsoft Teams, together with an invoice. The invoice will need to be paid 48-hours before your appointment.
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.
Sometimes you will be given a diagnosis on the day of your assessment. Sometimes the clinician will want more time to go through all your information. If they do not tell you on the day of your assessment, they will email you to tell you the outcome of the assessment.
After the full assessment all your information is gathered together into a report. The report will be based on internationally recognised diagnostic criteria. The report summaries what you have discussed at your assessment, and it will identify areas that are diagnostically significant.
Once the report is written, the clinician will email you a draft copy for you to read and comment on. You will also be invited to attend an online follow-up appointment, via Microsoft Teams, to discuss the report and the findings. If you prefer to discuss your report by email, rather than over Microsoft Teams, then let your clinician know.
Once the report is agreed, the clinician will send you a final version. They will also discuss with you about informing your GP (and other relevant parties) about the assessment and the outcome of the assessment.