One factor that often influences the price is the amount of time spent on the assessment and report writing process. Some companies offer assessments and reports that are fairly brief, others are more in-depth.

At Compass, we offer comprehensive assessments which include a current perspectives interview/mental health review, standardised and validated diagnostic assessments with experienced clinicians, screening questionnaires to consider co-occurring conditions, a thorough feedback session and a detailed report.

We divide our report into different sections so they are easy to navigate for different readers, such as families and professionals. We include specific recommendations based on the strengths and support needs of each individual. Recommendations may include further assessments, interventions and/or provide advice for families, school, universities or the workplace.

We also include detailed information about how the diagnosis was made. This means that in the future, if anyone would like to get a better understanding of the diagnostic decision, this will be clear from the report.

Following the assessment process, we provide a thorough feedback about our diagnostic decision/s and around the recommendations that we have made.

It is helpful to have at least two different professionals involved in the assessment process. Professionals with different training backgrounds and experience will always bring different perspectives, and this is extremely valuable throughout the assessment process. At Compass we involve at least two different clinicians in each assessment.

Our assessments focus on autism and ADHD. However, it is really important to consider other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions as part of the diagnostic process. For example, someone who is very anxious might experience difficulties with concentration or struggle with social interactions. At Compass we provide screening questionnaires for commonly co-occurring conditions to highlight what else we need to consider. Our clinical psychologists are experienced in asking relevant questions in order to ‘tease apart’ these complexities. If appropriate we can also diagnose anxiety or depression as part of our assessment.

If we feel that there may be an additional mental health or neurodevelopmental condition requiring a specific assessment (for example, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or dyslexia), we will highlight this in the report and make the relevant recommendations.

Different diagnostic tools can be used as part of the assessment process. At Compass we use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) for autism assessments. These are often described as the ‘gold standard’ assessment tools for the assessment of autism. Emma Woodhouse (one of the Compass directors) is an international trainer in the ADOS-2 and ADI-R. At Compass we offer our team ongoing training and CPD so you can be sure that our associates are reliable in the way they administer these tools, and that we are delivering the highest quality clinical assessments.

For our ADHD assessments we use standardised instruments such as the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults (DIVA-5) and young people (Young DIVA-5).

For cognitive assessments we use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth UK Edition (WISC-V) or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth UK Edition (WAIS-IV) depending on the client’s age and/or cognitive ability. Both assessments are considered to be the most accurate measures of cognitive ability. Based on the outcomes of these assessments we can make specific recommendations for schools and/or university.

Before undertaking any private assessment, it is important to check that your local education authority, school, GP and/or local NHS service will accept a private assessment, as these will be your gateways to local support moving forward.