Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Service for Children

ADI-R & ADOS Assessments

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or autism, is a life-long neurological difference. It is a spectrum condition, that can affect how a person responds to the world around them.

‍

In medical vocabulary, ASD is defined as a condition where a person experiences difficulty in social communication and may show restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour, such as motor mannerisms (such rocking back and forth, hand-flapping, licking lips and repetitive blinking), insistence on routine; sensory sensitivity and obsessive or unusual interest.

‍

The world can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming for autistic children and young people. They can find it difficult to understand social subtleties of how to ‘read’ and relate to other people. This means they may not pick up social cues or may behave in ways that are considered socially unexpected.

‍

The team at Harley Row Clinic is governed by strong professional principles when it comes to the practice’s young patients, insisting on seeing children face-to-face in the clinic for an assessment after an initial virtual call. This ensures each child is assessed comprehensively, with their behaviour, attention, development and how they function in various settings all taken into consideration. Non-verbal cues, body language, and interaction patterns can also be valuable in forming a diagnosis, which can be more challenging when assessing virtually.

‍

At Harley Row Clinic, we follow guidance from National Institute of Clinical Excellence on carrying out a private autism assessment for children and young people. This ensures accurate autism diagnosis for children of all ages.

We use the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R) in conjunction with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to determine a diagnosis.

‍

A full autism assessment is done in five parts:

‍

A comprehensive process is required for diagnosing autism in children. The autism assessment process is completed in five parts. These include:

‍

Part 1: ADI-R

This is a virtual appointment with parents or caregivers that lasts up to two hours. The purpose is to gather an early developmental history using the ADI-R, focusing on developmental and behavioural features consistent with ICD-11 or DSM-5 criteria.

‍

Part 2: ADOS

This is an in-person appointment at our clinic at Harley Street Clinics in London, Sussex or Surrey to administer the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). This appointment will last up to an hour. It will consist of an observational clinic with the child or young person that is being assessed. One of our clinicians and the patient will engage in a series of activities that are observed by two other clinicians.

‍

Part 3: Multi-disciplinary Discussion

This consists of a clinical discussion among the clinicians, scoring the observational tasks and preparing the diagnostic report.

‍

Part 4: The Assessment Report

The diagnostic report will also contain information about the assessment process and will summarise the information along the diagnostic criteria as part of an autism assessment. We also include additional services we can offer, as well as signposting to other services.

‍

Part 5: Feedback

Although optional, we would strongly encourage parents (and young people we have assessed) to attend a feedback session with one of our clinicians. This usually lasts around 30-45 minutes.

‍

After the results of the autism assessment, treatment takes a series of simultaneous paths – a three-fold approach: medication to treat symptoms if necessary, and a longer-term combination of psychological intervention and functional medicine.

‍

Many mental health conditions have a biological basis, and psychiatric medications can fulfil a key role in providing relief from symptoms. By treating symptoms, individuals can function better in their daily lives and stabilise their mood – all of which makes it easier for them to engage in their treatment.

‍

At Harley Row Clinic, psychological intervention plays a crucial role in treating autism spectrum disorder. The practice uses a range of therapeutic approaches and techniques specific to autistic children and young people, including counselling, coaching and relaxation training to improve mental health and enhance well-being.

‍

Finally, functional medicine seeks to identify the underlying cause of health issues. Harley Row Clinic specialises in nutritional therapy for children and young people. Health plans are carefully devised and highly individualised, using practical dietary modifications, nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes to help your neurodiverse child thrive. Ensuring proper nutrition for your child will also support cognitive development and assist with a range of other health problems.

‍

A child’s autism diagnosis can be overwhelming and emotionally taxing on parents, guardians, and other family members. As part of the team’s duty of care coaching, counselling, group therapy, guidance and support is available to caregivers, to help them manage the child’s diagnosis, while maintaining their own wellbeing.

‍

Comprehensive ASD treatment for children facilitates a process where you feel prepared with the right knowledge to support your child, and your child gains the tools to move forward in the world, navigate social interaction, and understand their diagnosis more deeply as they grow up and lead a fulfilling life.