Private ASD Assessments in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire

Gateway Psychology is a private psychology service based in Stoke-on-Trent, specialising in comprehensive ASD assessments for children and young people. Our assessments are carried out by fully qualified clinicians as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and provide a clear diagnostic outcome alongside tailored recommendations for treatment, support, or further assessment.

ASD Assessments at Gateway Psychology

We understand that waiting months, or even years, for an ASD assessment can be extremely stressful. At Gateway Psychology, we are able to offer reduced waiting times for children and young people, as well as a responsive turnaround for the assessment itself.

Our neurodevelopmental assessments are undertaken by highly-qualified Clinical Psychologists, who have a range of experience in addition to assessing for ASD. They will be able to provide an overview of what other issues may exist and can signpost to further support as required.

Our assessment approach

  • Face-to-face appointments

  • Child-friendly clinic space

  • Led by fully-qualified and regulated Clinical Psychologists

  • Follow national guidlines from NICE

  • Assessed using the best available tools

  • Multi-disciplinary team

  • Robust diagnostic conclusions

How to make a referral

Please email referrals@gateway-psychology.co.uk to make a referral for an ASD assessment. You do not need a GP referral to access our services. Please include any further information that may be helpful for us to know at this point.

We will provide you with a quote and information about payment.

What to expect during your assessment

An ASD assessment is comprised of several elements and will usually entail a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis. This will include the following (your clinician will decide which measures are appropriate on a case-by-case basis):

  • Clinical interview with parents/carers to establish a detailed developmental history.
  • Questionnaires and rating scales from other settings –usually school/nursery/college.
  • A brief speech and language evaluation to examine social communication (depending on requirements)
  • A brief occupational therapy evaluation to examine any sensory difficulties (depending on requirements).
  • Direct behavioural observation of the child either play based (for younger children) or conversation based (for older children) using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) where appropriate.
  • A feedback session of the findings.

FAQs

You do not need a GP letter or special referral to access our services. Please contact us about your situation, providing as much detail as possible. We will get back to you with more information about working with us.

Please note that if you think your sessions will be funded by your Local Authority, Regional Adoption Agency or another organisation, you will likely need to speak with them first.

We are a specialist child and young person psychology service. As such, we are unfortunately unable to undertake ASD assessments for adults.

We can assess children and young people for ASD up to the age of 18.

Please contact us for our most up-to-date pricing structure.

Yes, we can offer payment plans. Please contact us for further information.

We aim to reduce the ASD assessment waiting times as far as possible for children and young people. We aim to start the assessment within 6-8 weeks of receiving the “go ahead” from the parent/carer (or the person funding the assessment).

Our ASD assessments are undertaken by fully-qualified Clinical Psychologists, who are trained in undertaking neurodevelopmental assessments such as ASD. Our assessments follow the national NICE guidelines, and include a multi-disciplinary team.

It may be beneficial to check with your child’s school/GP/other organisation to understand if they will accept a private ASD assessment before making a referral to us.

Most appointments will take place at our specialist therapeutic venue in Stoke-on-Trent.

We do not see clients in their home or elsewhere.

We may offer virtual sessions if required or appropriate for the assessment.

A detailed report will be prepared summarising the child or young person’s developmental history and describing their current presentation in each of the key ASD areas.

This report will provide a diagnostic conclusion along with recommendations for treatment/management and further assessment.