Frequently Asked Questions

We are always looking for ways to improve our service and be able to offer more. Currently our services include:

• ADHD assessment for adults and children

• ASD assessment for adults and children

• Speech, language, and Communication assessment

• Speech, language, and Communication therapy

• School support

• EHCP report writing

• Bespoke resource making

• Life Coaching for adults

Following your child’s assessment, the speech and language therapist will feed back the results to you via the telephone or online and discuss the findings and recommendations. Occasionally, it may be necessary to make an onward referral for investigation into other difficulties noted other than speech, language, or communication e.g., hearing, vision, sensory integration, learning difficulties (e.g., dyslexia) and mental health services etc.

Some children may experience some anxiety prior to their assessment. All clinicians have extensive experience working with children and families and are equipped to put you and your child at ease. This may include, arranging the assessment at a place your child is most comfortable or having a familiar person present. We generally find that children show good resilience when meeting the clinician for the first time and most will comfortably complete their assessment. All information is helpful during an assessment and highlights the child’s primary area of need; if your child struggles to engage with the clinician, it may be that an alternative approach needs to be considered or further investigation/support is needed prior to the assessment taking place.

This will be discussed at the time of booking. We can conduct assessments either in school, in our clinic or online. However, this can depend on the age or developmental level of the individual accessing the assessment. Depending on the assessment, the clinician(s) involved will also arrange to meet with an informant or school staff etc. to gather evidence of the individual in other contexts.

You may start to wonder whether your child has a speech, language and/or communication delay when comparing your child to other children of a similar age when attending parent and child groups or when your child begins nursery. You may also notice that you are making modifications to support your child to understand or use language or you are having to translate what your child is saying as they cannot be understood by others. Speech, Language and Communication development is often monitored throughout a child’s life e.g., during health visiting checks and at nursery/school. Some children’s difficulties may be more obvious than others but if you are at all concerned about your child’s development and this has not yet been raised by a professional, you are welcome to get in touch with us and have a free initial consultation with one of our speech and language therapist’s. They will be able to advise whether your child would benefit from an assessment of their speech language and communication development. There is no obligation to use our services. To find out more, book your initial consultation here

If attention and listening appears to be an area of difficulty, this will likely impact on speech sound development progress. For 1:1 speech sound therapy to be effective, children need to:

• Attend to an adult-led activity for a minimum of 15 minutes with visual support (for example a timetable, now/next symbols, or a timer)

• Be able to face watch

• Be able to follow simple instructions within therapy sessions and show understanding of basic concepts such as same/different, first/last, front/back

There are many people who have ASD traits and may mistake this as having ASD. When assessing for ASD, we consider the impact the presenting symptoms are having on the individual’s ability to function, particularly in overstimulating or social environments. We also consider whether the difficulties can be explained by something else e.g., mental health, trauma, or a congenital abnormality etc. There are several online pre-screening tools which may indicate whether you have ASD traits and would benefit from further investigation. You can also access this through your GP.

Here are some recommendations:

• Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT), is a popular 20-question test designed for toddlers between 16 and 30 months old. Note: there is recent evidence that the M-CHAT may not be as effective in screening females and minority, urban and low-income children.

• The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a general developmental screening tool that examines developmental challenges at specific ages.

• Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT) is an interactive screening tool comprising of twelve activities that assess play, communication, and imitation.

• Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) is a general developmental parent interview designed to identify delays in motor, language, self-help, and more.

There are many people who have ADHD traits and may mistake this as having ADHD. When assessing for ADHD, we consider the impact the presenting symptoms are having on the individual’s ability to function. We also consider whether the difficulties can be explained by something else e.g., mental health, trauma, or a congenital abnormality etc. There are several online pre-screening tools which may indicate whether you have ADHD traits and would benefit from further investigation. You can also access this through your GP.

Here are some recommendations:

For children - SNAP-IV 26-Item Teacher and Parent Rating Scale - Scoring_for_SNAP_IV_Guide_26-item.pdf (shared-care.ca)

For Adults - Free ADHD Test | Mind Diagnostics Test (mind-diagnostics.org)

We provide full comprehensive ADHD assessments and ASD assessments using gold standard assessment tools for children aged 2 to adulthood. The assessment is conducted by a multi-disciplinary team including a highly specialist speech and language therapist and clinical psychologist. The outcome of the assessment will be fed back to you and the evidence gathered will be documented in a detailed report; this is aimed to be with you within 3 weeks upon the completion of the assessment. The report can be shared with other professionals and if necessary, used towards an Education, Health, and Care Plan.

Yes. Some individuals may have ADHD and ASD traits and may benefit from a combined assessment. We can support with this. To find out more, book your free consultation here

Yes. We are always adding and creating resources for schools and parents/carers to use with children. We also update our blog and social media with new resources.

We offer a free 20-minute discovery call with one of our life coaches. This will usually be completed either via the telephone or online. The discovery call is a chance for you and the coach to get to know one another. The call can either be led by yourself or the coach; this is usually hard to predict. During the call, the coach will share with you what services are available and give you a chance to ask any questions you may have. There is no obligation to commit to our life coaching service following the call. To find out more, book your free discovery call here or read more here

There are a range of ways you can access our services such as, online, by telephone, in-person, in school or at home, so there is minimal waiting time, and the right support can be received immediately. We offer an initial free consultation to discuss your concerns and match this with the right specialist and service; there is no obligation to go ahead with our service following this call. We also offer lots of free resources and regularly update our events and offers. More information can also be found on our Blog page.

Our service offers comprehensive autism and ADHD assessments conducted by a multi-disciplinary highly qualified team who are registered with the relevant bodies such as the Health Care Professions Council. This includes a team of Chartered Clinical Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers. Our clinicians are trained in conducting ASD and ADHD diagnostic assessments and follow the NICE guidelines using the ‘gold standard’ recognised assessment tools such as the ADOS, ADI-r and DIVA required to effectively conduct and evaluate ADHD and ASD assessments. We take pride in providing thorough and accurate evaluations to support individuals and their families including providing individualised recommendations including work and education accommodations, self help strategies local and nationwide support services.

Our assessments are recognised by both the NHS and the local authority. However, if you are concerned, we recommend checking with your local NHS service (GP practice) or relevant authorities to confirm the recognition in your specific area.

The following local services may be useful in supporting you pre and post-diagnosis:

Autism Apprentice: Supporting families caring for a young autistic individual. This may include support with the EHCP process or post-diagnostic advice.

For us too: Aims to improve the lives of disabled children, young people and their families across East Kent.

Local Children’s Centres

Kent Autistic Trust: Providing support for people with Autism and other associated difficulties.

SPOTS: Supporting People on The Spectrum is a support and information group for families, carers and friends of children and adults with autism and associated learning difficulties.