Frequently Asked Questions

Will Health Trusts & the Education Authority accept reports from a private provider?

Our assessment is multidisciplinary and meets the criteria set out by NICE guidelines. The final report will be circulated to your local Trust to be ratified in line with regional guidelines for accepting a private autism assessment report.

The Education Authority will accept the report once it is ratified by your local Trust.

2. Will an ASD diagnosis secure school support?

A diagnosis of autism does not automatically lead to additional support in school or a classroom assistant. An Educational Psychology assessment is required in NI to access additional support in school. Lancefield Private clinic cannot make educational recommendations for specialist school placement or make specific recommendations for school.

3. Do I have to tell the child what the appointment is for?

Children aged 13 and above must be aware of the reason for assessment and give their consent.

4 .Will the parent be with the child in the room during the assessment?

We will do our best to make the child/young person feel as comfortable as possible. For children under 6 years, it is recommended that a parent/carer/relative stays in the room with them during the clinical assessment while one parent participates in the parental interview in another room close by. It is advisable to have two adults accompany a child under 6 years if possible.

For children aged 6 and above it is not necessary to have a parent/carer/relative in the room with them during the clinical assessment although a parent will be invited to settle the child or young person if required.

5. What happens if my child doesn’t tend to speak outside of the home environment?

Please let us know at the time of booking if your child or young person experiences periods of muteness that may impact their ability to participate in assessment. Our clinicians are experienced in how to support young people who experience these periods of muteness. Very often we can make alternative arrangements to see the young person in a more familiar environment.

6. What happens if my child/young person is unable to leave the house?

Please let us know if there is a chance that your child/young person may be unable to leave the house on the day of the assessment. We can discuss alternative options if we know about this in advance.

7. What is the process for an adult assessment, and can it be done virtually?

We use the adult assessment process for those 19 years and above.

In some cases, an initial face to face consultation is recommended to determine what the best route for assessment should be for the person.

If an autism assessment is agreed, it will take place on one day and in two parts. We would recommend that all aspects are completed face to face.

8. What are the likely outcomes of an Autism assessment?

There are a number of possible outcomes following assessment.

In many cases following the assessment and gathering of all the information required an autism diagnosis will be confirmed.
In a few cases if there is a discrepancy in the evidence collected from home, school and or clinic or when a young person is unable to contribute to the clinical assessment a school observation will take place. This will incur an additional cost.
In some cases, a further clinical assessment may be required from one of our other specialist team members. There will be no further cost for this.
Very infrequently we may need to seek additional screening assessments from another private provider partnership to inform our diagnostic formulation. There will be an additional charge will be agreed first.
In some cases, there will be insufficient evidence across all areas and therefore no diagnosis will be confirmed.

9. Does Lancefield clinic offer ADHD Assessments?

Unfortunately, we do not offer assessments for ADHD.

10. What are the costs and waiting times?

The waiting times for assessment will vary depending on demand. Very often we will be in a position to offer a last-minute cancellation. For waiting times and costs please e mail enquiries@lancefieldprivateclinic.com