Autism Assessments
Everything You Need to Know
Everything You Need to Know
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more and more being understood not as a single fixed condition but as a complex mix of strengths and challenges in social communication, sensory processing, behaviours, and how someone relates to their environment. If your child is showing signs that might suggest that they have autism, the path to clarity and support normally begins with an autism assessment. Let us walk through what an assessment is, how to prepare, what happens during each stage, and what comes after — so you know exactly what to expect and how to get the most from the process.
An autism assessment is a structured process by which qualified professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians and others, gather evidence about behaviour, developmental history, social communication, sensory traits, cognition and associated conditions, in order to reach a conclusion about whether autism is present and if so, how it manifests and affects the individual on a day-to-day basis. The goal is not just a label or a diagnosis — it’s a clear, evidence-based profile that can guide support, accommodations, therapeutic interventions, educational planning, and future referrals.
One key point to emphasise: an autism assessment is not just an interview or checklist. It is a multidisciplinary endeavour by highly trained professionals. The assessment team typically includes psychologists, psychiatrists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, or developmental specialists, depending on age and locality. In the UK, services are expected to align with guidelines such as those from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and a national framework for commissioning all-age autism services. Atypically only work with assessors who follow all of these strict guidelines.
Successfully obtaining a diagnosis through assessment can unlock access to educational support, accommodations in work or school, eligibility for benefits, and tailored therapeutic input. Many families describe a diagnosis as a relief — although the road to it may feel long, it often provides clarity, validation, and a concrete foundation for planning ahead.
The first step is recognising that an assessment may be needed. Signs vary depending on the age of the person, but may include difficulties in social interaction (e.g. trouble reading nonverbal cues, making and maintaining friendships), communication challenges (literal language, atypical tone or rhythm), restricted or repetitive behaviours, a strong preference for routines, sensory sensitivities, and varying cognitive or learning profiles.
If you suspect autism the first step is normally to talk to a GP (or, for children, a health visitor or paediatrician) and explain your concerns. The NHS in England indicates that someone such as a GP or a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) can make a referral to an autism diagnostic pathway through the NHS.
Some services require that the GP initiate the referral; in other cases, school or therapy professionals (e.g. speech and language therapists) may also advocate for the referral. For Private Autism Assessments you can often self-refer, avoiding the need to go through your GP or another health professional, which is how our assessors at Atypically work.
If you go down the NHS pathway, in your meeting, it helps to bring notes, observations, checklists or questionnaires you may have completed (for example, screening tools like the AQ-10 in adults or children) to support your case. The clearer your narrative — when symptoms began, how they manifest, how they impact daily life — the stronger the referral application.
Once a referral is accepted, the diagnostic service should assign a case coordinator or lead clinician who becomes your main point of contact, explaining the process, expected timelines, and how to access reasonable adjustments (e.g. to reduce sensory overload in appointments).Under NICE guidance, assessments should ideally begin within three months of referral. However, due to NHS waiting list being over 12 months in many areas of the country, this is not always possible, so going private can be far more efficient in getting a speedy assessment.
Before formal appointments start, you’ll often be asked to complete pre-assessment questionnaires, history forms, developmental checklists, and consent paperwork. This is the same for both NHS and private assessments. The service may also request input from someone who knows you (or your child) well — a parent, carer, sibling or long-term friend — to fill out background questionnaires about early development, social history, behaviour, and communication.
These forms help the clinicians build a baseline and guide which potential issues and traits need deeper exploration in later appointments. They also streamline the in-person or virtual assessment and ensure that time is used efficiently. It is crucial to complete and return these materials on time, as missing information may delay the process.
Sometimes the assessment team may request school or workplace reports, prior psychological or medical reports, speech & language therapy notes, occupational therapy, mental health reports, or educational progress documents. These additional documents give valuable real-world evidence of how behaviour plays out across settings.
Once the paperwork is processed, the formal assessment stage can begin. This typically includes clinical interviews, structured observation, interaction tasks, and sometimes direct testing.
In the clinical interview portion, the professional(s) will review developmental history (with special attention to early child behaviour), social and communication milestones, relationships, academic history, sensory and motor behaviours, mental health history, and daily functioning. The interviewer may ask open and directed questions and check consistency with the questionnaires. They also explore whether symptoms are better explained by other conditions (e.g. ADHD, anxiety, speech/language disorder) or whether comorbid conditions are present.
During structured observation sessions, the assessors will engage the person (or child) in tasks and games designed to evoke social communication, flexible thinking, turn-taking, pretend play, nonverbal behaviour, and imaginative interaction. The clinicians watch how the individual behaves, how they initiate or respond socially, how they manage changes or surprises, and how they handle sensory input.
The team often bring standard observational tools. Some widely used instruments include the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO), Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R), or other validated protocols.
These assessments provide structured, comparable measures of social communication and behaviour. In many cases, the team may combine interviews, observation, questionnaire scores and third-party reports to triangulate conclusions.
Additionally, assessors may conduct or arrange other assessments (cognitive testing, educational achievement, speech & language assessment, occupational therapy sensory profile, neuropsychological screening) especially if there are co-occurring difficulties. The goal is to build a holistic picture of strengths, challenges and needed supports.
Where possible, assessments may also include observations in multiple settings, such as home, school, or other familiar environments, or in sessions that simulate varied environments. This ensures the clinical findings resonate with real-life functioning.
During this stage, assessors should check comprehension with you/the individual and adapt communication or the environment (for sensory or communication needs) to help you or your child engage fully.
After all interviews, observations, questionnaires, and supporting documents are assembled, the assessment team meets to review the evidence and make a determination. They deliberate on whether the person meets the criteria (DSM-5 or ICD-11) for autism, whether comorbidities are present, and what level of support and accommodations are likely to be needed.
You will then have a feedback session (or sessions) in which the clinician(s) explain their conclusions, share the diagnosis (if one is made) or explain why a diagnosis was not made, and discuss implications, recommendations and next steps. You should receive a written report summarising the findings, diagnostic criteria mapping, strengths, challenges, and recommendations for support, education, therapy, accommodations, or referrals. The service will usually share relevant portions of the report (with your consent) with your GP, and you might also choose to share it with school or employers.
Reports may also name adjustments or accommodations, strategies for management of sensory, executive function or social difficulties, referrals to speech or occupational therapy, and signposting to support services or charities. The report is not just a verdict — it’s a roadmap for support.
If during the feedback you disagree with the findings or interpretation, you are entitled to ask for a second opinion or appeal, depending on your region and service.
Sometimes the team may conclude that more evidence is needed or refer you for further specialist assessment (for example, deeper neuropsychological or speech/language evaluation).
A diagnosis (or the decision not to diagnose) is not an endpoint — it’s a doorway to action. Here’s how you can use your assessment:
First, share and store your report. Give copies to your GP, school (SENCo), therapist, and any professionals working with you. This helps ensure consistent understanding across settings.
Second, ask for a support plan. In education settings, the report provides evidence to request or tailor accommodations, adjustments or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) if in England. In the workplace, the report can form part of a request for reasonable adjustments under disability legislation. Atypically has information on How to Get an EHCP.
Third, work with professionals to translate recommendations into interventions. For example, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy (for sensory or motor difficulties), social skills coaching, executive function supports, counselling, behavioural interventions, mentoring or peer support groups.
Fourth, seek ongoing monitoring. Autism is lifelong and needs evolve over time or as a child grows up and learns new behaviours. Regular reviews (e.g. annually or biannually) help ensure that supports remain effective, new challenges are addressed, and strengths are maximised.
Fifth, engage with community and support networks. Autism charities, peer groups, online forums and parent/carer networks can help you navigate services, accommodations, coping strategies, advocacy, and emotional support.
Finally, advocate for yourself or your child. The clarity that the assessment brings gives you a foundation to negotiate with schools, health services or social care authorities. Over time, your documentation from the assessment can be used to build further evidence (for example, to support requests for more intensive intervention or legal support).
Autism assessment is rarely a smooth journey. Many families report frustrations, delays, miscommunication or inconclusive outcomes. Qualitative research in the UK has highlighted several recurring themes: long waiting times, lack of clarity in the process, limited post-diagnosis support, and emotional strain.
To reduce obstacles, here are some tips :
Begin early. Start collecting observations, reports, checklists or screening results as early as possible. That way, when referral is made, you already have a strong evidence base.
Stay organised. Keep all medical, school, therapy, psychological or behavioural reports in one file. Label them by date and domain. When submitting to a service, provide a concise covering summary that connects your evidence to observed challenges and support needs.
Be proactive in communication. If you are assigned a case coordinator, keep in touch regularly. Ask for updates, and don't hesitate to escalate if delays become excessive.
Request reasonable adjustments. If your child or you are sensitive to sensory stimuli (noisy rooms, bright lights, waiting spaces), request accommodations (e.g. quiet rooms, flexible scheduling, breaks, communication preferences). The assessment team should make reasonable adjustments to help you engage fully.
Ask clarifying questions in feedback sessions. When receiving results, make sure you understand the clinician’s reasoning, how they used criteria, and what supports they recommend.
If diagnosis is not given, seek clarity. Ask what evidence was missing or ambiguous, whether further data collection might yield a positive conclusion, and whether re-assessment is possible.
Follow up after diagnosis. Many services offer limited post-diagnostic support. Be ready to push for follow-up, referrals, therapy or educational planning.
Utilise support networks and advocacy. Charities, autism organisations and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) support groups can help you understand your rights, challenge decisions, or gather further evidence. Check out our Useful Links.
An autism assessment can be life-changing — giving clarity, enabling support, and opening doors to appropriate interventions. But it is a journey, often slow and requiring persistence, organisation, and advocacy. Understanding each stage — from referral, pre-assessment, interviews and observations, to feedback and post-diagnosis planning — helps you navigate the system with confidence.
At Atypically, we believe the process should feel collaborative and empowering. Keep in mind that a diagnosis is not a label alone but a tool to structure practical support ahead. Seek professionals who are open, communicative and willing to customise the process to your needs. And lean on support networks, including neurodiversity groups and SEND advocacy, as you move forward.
Written by Ben Friedman, Founder of Atypically.
Ben has years of first hand experience as a father of an autistic son and a SEND advocate. All content is thoroughly researched to help parents to be as informed as possible when navigating private assessments and meaningful interventions for their neurodiverse children. Ben also holds a CPD Accredited Certification in the Treatment and Management of Additional Needs Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
With NHS waiting lists now taking up to 2 years in some areas for a final diagnosis, now is the time to get your child the help they need. By going private, you can cut the waiting time down to a few weeks instead and it it doesn't cost as much as you might think!
Private autism or ADHD assessments typically take 2 to 12 weeks from initial enquiry to diagnosis. These assessments are conducted by qualified professionals and follow the same diagnostic criteria used by the NHS.
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