“Matty was amazing…My child, his mother and I really enjoyed meeting with him. We immediately felt relaxed and welcomed…we immediately knew that he had our son and our best interests in mind. I would highly recommend him.”

A parent of a child who was assessed for Autism Spectrum

Children

At Neurodiversity-Matters we are able to assess for a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions a well as emotional and behavioural difficulties. When conducting assessments and providing supports we do so with the upmost sensitivity and always in collaboration with you, following best practice guidelines (e.g. NICE guidelines) whilst adhering to our professional registration/regulatory body.  Assessments and supports can be provided at your home, within an organisation, school or within one of our clinics, wherever is most comfortable and convenient for you.        

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and it can continue through adolescence and into adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behaviour, and hyperactivity (over-activity). In order to assess for ADHD we will interview the parent/carer(s) alongside completing measures such as the Connors.  If your child is able, they will also be interviewed. Your child may also be assessed directly using various specific assessments such as the WISC-V and skills assessments such as the Vineland or ABAS. Information will be sort from various different settings such as school and home about the child’s functioning.  A medical person such as a Paediatrician and/or Psychiatrist may be involved, to explore any biological contributors or explanations, but that is often not necessary.  Time taken: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 6 and 8 hours. Cost: The cost is around £850 (UK) or $1580 (NZ), if a medical person is also needed then that will attract an additional cost. In addition to assessing for ADHD we can also provide support around the difficulties associated with the condition such as with behaviour, mood, concentration and learning. The support can include pharmacology as well as psychological.

Intellectual Disability

An Intellectual Disability is characterised by difficulties with memory, learning, comprehension and difficulties with everyday activities such as with household tasks, socialising or managing money – which starts in child hood and affects someone for their whole life.   The assessment of Intellectual Disability will include a cognitive assessment with your child directly, as well as a skills assessment. The information from these assessments are combined with information taken through interview of you as the parent/carer.  Time taken: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 5 and 7 hours.  Cost: The cost will be £650 (UK) and $950 (NZ). In addition to assessing for Intellectual Disability we can also provide support around the difficulties associated with the condition such as with behaviour, mood, concentration and learning.

Autism Spectrum Condition

Autism Spectrum Disorder or Condition (ASD/C) is a condition that affects social interaction, social communication, interests, sensory experiences and behaviour. The features exist from infancy, occur across settings such as school and home and are lifelong. The features manifest in different ways in different people, and that is why the condition is considered a spectrum. ASD/C can occur alongside other conditions such as ADHD and mental health concerns as well as Intellectual Disability.

The assessment of ASD/C will involve a comprehensive history taking (of up to 3 hours) with a person who has known the individual since early childhood (e.g. parent) using gold standard measures such as the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised.  In addition direct assessment of your child is usually included such as the Autism Diagnostic Schedule 2, whilst considering other types of assessments if required, such as a cognitive assessment and a language assessment (with a Speech and Language Therapist) to exclude concerns such as language disorder. 

Neurodiversity-Matters can can offer a flexible approach such as a remote assessment, particularly important during Covid-19, such as the use of the BOSA assessment via Zoom or other remote platform.

Time taken: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 6 and 8 hours.   Cost: although cost can vary due to the need for additional assessments (e.g. IQ) the usual cost is around £1500 (UK) and $1950 (NZ). In addition to assessing for ASD/C we can also provide support around the difficulties associated with the condition such as with behaviour, mood, concentration and learning.

Mental Health

Children as well as adults experience difficulties with mental health such as anxiety, sadness and depression, early assessment and support is important.  Children and and young people can display mental health concerns through changes in sleep pattern, eating, relationships, mood and lack of interest in activities.  At Psychological Solutions we are to assess non-emergency mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and OCD. If possible (e.g. if the child is able enough) the assessment will typically involve an interview with the child/young person themselves. If this is not possible, perhaps due to their age or level of functioning, then others can be interviewed as informants; consent will be sort. Various measures (e.g. Beck Youth Inventory) may be used to help ascertain if there are any mental health issues and the best ways to support the person.  The assessment and outcome to the assessment will be conducted with the upmost sensitivity and at each stage of the assessment collaboratively agreed.   Following the assessment we can then provide further support through therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, consultation, parent support and behaviour management, whichever is most appropriate. Time taken for the assessment: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 3 and 5 hours.  

Skills/Learning

Sometimes parents have mild to moderate concerns about their children in terms of their academic achievement, educational progress, daily living skills and/or relationships. In which case we are able to provide an assessment and profile of strengths and needs to help the parent support their child. This report can be useful to share with school or others to achieve collaborative support across settings or to perhaps trigger statutory supports and funds. Following the assessment we can then provide further support through skills development (put a link here to intervention tab). Time taken: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 3 and 5 hours.    Cost: The cost is £900 (UK) and $1250 (NZ).

Behaviour

Sometimes parents and carers of children have concerns about behaviour, in terms of its impact on daily life, quality of life and risk.  Behaviours that are concerning could be related to sleep, toileting, hurting self and others, avoidance of things such as school, community settings, clinginess or difficulties accessing activities. We can help make sense of these difficulties through various assessment processes including clinical interview, observation of your at home and perhaps in other settings (e.g. school) and perhaps assessing your directly if that is required (e.g. cognitive assessment, mental health assessment). Following the assessment we can then provide further support through behaviour management or other interventions such as counselling (e.g. CBT). Time taken for the assessment: including report writing and verbal feedback, the whole process can take between 3 and 6 hours.   Cost: The cost is £125 per hour (UK) and $240 per hour (NZ).