What happens during the autism assessment process?

A general guide for everyone:

There are several stages to an autism assessment. It’s important to know that different services may do things in slightly different ways.

This guide explains what happens during a ‘gold standard’ assessment that follows the NICE guidelines.

We’ve split the process into two parts: what happens during the assessment and what you can expect after it.

During the Assesment

1. Screening and registration
   • You’ll start by filling in some forms and answering screening questions.
   • If you need a full assessment, you’ll get an appointment and help to get ready for it.
   • You may need to share some documents, like school reports or therapy notes.
   • You’ll also have someone to guide and support you through the process.
2. Face-to-face assessments
   • There are two main parts to the assessment:
     1. ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule):
        • You’ll meet with a clinician (a specialist) who will ask you questions and give you simple tasks to do.
        • If you’re a child, these tasks might involve playing. If you’re an adult, the tasks will include more talking.
        • There are no right or wrong answers.
     2. ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised):
        • A psychologist or doctor will talk to someone who knows you well (like a parent or partner). They’ll ask about how you interact, communicate, and behave.
        • This can take 3–5 hours and might happen online or face-to-face.
3. Reviewing results
   • The clinicians will review what they’ve learned and compare it to official guidelines to decide on a diagnosis.
   • There are three possible results:
     • Diagnosis: You meet the criteria for autism.
     • Non-diagnosis: You don’t meet the criteria.
     • Inconclusive: In rare cases, the results may be unclear.

After the Assesment

1. Getting your results
   • Once a decision is made, the clinicians will tell you the results and explain why. This often happens on the same day as the final assessment.
2. Receiving a report
   • You’ll get a detailed written report. This will explain the results and include advice based on your needs.
3. Follow-up meeting
   • You’ll have a meeting to talk about the report, ask questions, and get advice on what to do next.
   • You can also highlight any parts of the report you don’t understand or find particularly helpful.
4. Extra support
   • If needed, you might have another follow-up session for extra help.

Read our FAQ (frequently asked questions) guide, to find out more.