Do you want to understand your child better?

Our experienced clinicians offer thorough, evidence-based evaluations to support individuals and families.

FAQs

General Information

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals perceive and interact with the world. We tend to think about three domains of difference including how someone communicates, how they interact socially and how they behave.

Autism is a spectrum condition, and people can be more or less impacted by their differences, often dependent on the demands of their environment. Some individuals may have heightened sensory sensitivities, intense interests, or a preference for routine. Some people develop strategies which mask their differences meaning that their needs might not be observable to others. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and burn out.

An assessment for autism can help to identify a person’s unique strengths and skills but also where support might be beneficial.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects attention, impulsivity, and activity levels. It is also considered a neurodevelopmental condition meaning that it has a childhood onset.

People with ADHD may find it difficult to focus, struggle with organisation, or be more impulsive than others. Some individuals experience hyperactivity, while others primarily struggle with sustaining their attention. ADHD is manageable with strategies, support, and, in some cases, medication.
Insight provides specialist autism and ADHD assessments for children, adolescents, and adults. Between us we have a wealth of experience working in both NHS and private health care services and we are passionate about working in an inclusive and neuro affirmative way.

Our experienced clinicians offer thorough, evidence-based evaluations to support individuals and families. We also offer a range of therapies for children, young people, and their families.
We offer a hybrid service that is partly virtual but with a face-to-face component for all assessments which is conducted at our office base in Southampton.
A screening appointment is the first step. This allows us to discuss your concerns and observations, determine if an assessment is suitable, and agree a plan for moving forward.

Assessment Process

Our assessments include clinical interviews, structured observations, and standardised tools such as:

ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) – a structured assessment observing social communication and behaviour.

QB Check – a computer-based test measuring attention, impulsivity, and activity levels for ADHD.

ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) – a detailed parent interview assessing autism traits.

ADHD Clinical Interview – a structured discussion with parents/carers focusing on ADHD symptoms.
Our parent interviews are conducted virtually. However, the autism and ADHD assessments include a face-to-face component, specifically the ADOS and QB Check.
Each assessment will contain a minimum of two diagnostic appointments after the initial screening session. If we anticipate that additional sessions are needed we will discuss this with you as early in the process as possible.
We pride ourselves in our timely responding to enquiries and typically are able to offer screening appointments within a month of you first contacting us. We try to keep our website up to date which says when our next available appointments are.
Legally, an assessment only requires that one person with parental responsibility provide consent to proceed. However, where situations allow, we strongly recommend that both parents are aware of the intention to assess to ensure that they have opportunity to contribute. This also helps to mitigate the risk that any assessment outcome is challenged in future.
One parent or guardian can attend although both are welcome.
Yes, pre-assessment questionnaires help us gather essential background information which help us to tailor our discussion to focus on the things you tell us are important to you.

Age and Eligibility

Families self-refer into us. You do not need to be referred in by another health care professional or by an educational provider.
We assess children from age 5 upwards, as verbal communication is required for our evaluations.
Yes, autism and ADHD can present at any stage of life, and we offer assessments for all ages.

Cost and Recognition

Pricing varies depending on the assessment type. Please see our Fees page.
We accept payment via BACS and credit card. We are currently not registered with insurance providers so cannot invoice third parties directly. However, some families have been successful in recouping their costs against existing policies.
No, unfortunately we are not yet registered as a RTC provider but it is something we are exploring for the future.
Yes. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) states that all professional advice must be considered regardless of whether it is obtained privately or through the NHS. The emphasis is on the quality of the assessment completed and not the service that completed it. A Local Authority cannot reject a report solely because it was privately funded. If this happens, we can support you in challenging the decision.
Yes, they should be provided that they are high quality, use well recognised and validated tools and adhere to NICE guidelines. However, misconceptions do exist about private assessments and sometimes services might question the validity of a diagnosis. Where a family has concerns we always suggest that they inform the school or local CAMHS services of their intention to pursue a private assessment so that we are able to address any questions or concerns before proceeding. It is standard practice for a local NHS service to review the private diagnosis to ensure that it is robust and in keeping with both NICE guidance and diagnostic criteria. We pride ourselves on both our robust assessment process and the thorough reports we provide. These reports support families who choose to approach the NHS for follow-on care. Please contact us for more details.

Preparation and

Participation

Photos of our specialist team are available on our website to people feel familiar with who they will meet.

We can send images of the assessment room in advance.

While we prefer parents not to be present in the assessment due to how it may influence someone’s responding, accommodations can be made if necessary.

Our approach is flexible, and we adjust our methods to ensure a comfortable experience.
This is rare, but we are prepared to adapt our approach to suit your child's needs.

Post Assessment and Support

We meet as a team to review the collected assessment information before inviting you to a feedback appointment where we discuss our observations and make suggestions for onward support where needed. We provide a detailed report outlining our findings, recommendations, and next steps.
Reports are typically completed no later than four weeks.
Yes, and we encourage sharing the report to help secure appropriate support.
Yes, our reports support applications for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and other educational adjustments.
We can offer therapy. Please contact us to discuss this further.
At the moment no. Families who work with us typically go onto access medication either via their local CAMHS team or private psychiatrist. We have partners we work with and can signpost you to if we feel that medication is something to consider. We do have two non-medical prescribers in our team who prescribe in their NHS roles but not in private practice. This means that we are well positioned to answer questions that you might have about medication.