Assessment process 

We are currently offering face to face appointments at one of our CWP bases or virtual assessments by secure video call which can be accessed through a smartphone or computer type device that is capable of video calling.  

There could be a long wait for your appointment as we receive a significant amount of referrals and see these in date order. Once we receive your referral it will be screened by a clinician. At this stage we will be unable to offer you approximation of when you will be seen. Before an appointment date can be offered, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire and once this is returned you will be added to the waiting list. 

Once you receive your assessment date please confirm the information below: 

  • Your name and contact telephone number
  • Your appointment date and time and if you can make it. If the date is not convenient for you we can arrange an alternative date.
  • If you have chosen a virtual assessment:  Do you have the equipment in place to do a video call? Do you want the link to be sent to your smart phone or email? What is the number or address please?
  • Are you are asking a friend or family member to support you? What is their phone number please? Your supporter will also be sent a questionnaire to complete prior to your appointment.

For more information our website is - Adult Autism Service

If for whatever reason you do not attend your appointment; or if you cancel or reschedule it without 48 hours’ notice (to enable us to offer the appointment slot to someone else) you will be discharged from this service unless there are extreme mitigating circumstances.

Assessment process 

  • On the day approximately two hours:
    • 1:1 with the consultant/psychiatrist/medic/autism practitioner 
    • Supporter 1:1 with the clinician (if applicable
    • 1:1 with the clinician 
    • Support 1:1 with the consultant/psychiatrist/medic/autism practitioner (if applicable) 
  • Provisional diagnosis verbally or by email 

  • Draft report produced and sent out to you in approximately six to eight weeks after your assessment please make any changes before your follow up appointment. You will receive a follow up appointment letter 

  • Follow up appointment 

    • Will last approximately 30 minutes

    • This is to give you the opportunity to raise any questions that you wish to discuss after the initial assessment and after reading the report. The report will be finalised, and you will be signposted to any suitable services. 

    • You will then be discharged from our service. 

The virtual assessment process:

You will need to be available for approximately two hours for this assessment. It also may run on slightly longer if needed.

You have the option to have a link for the assessment sent to your mobile phone number as a text message with the link in, or by email to view on your phone, computer or tablet.

This link will arrive a few minutes before the assessment time and will take you straight to the assessment. This may ask you to press an activation button and type in your name in order to proceed. You also need to ensure that the video, microphone and sound button are ’ON’ in order for us to see and hear you.

You also may be required to download the ‘whereby’ app depending on the software on your phone, and it is okay to do this. A video outlining how to connect to the video call can be viewed below. 

This video outlines the process. This video was made in a face to face setting, but the virtual process is the same. This example does not show information on how a supporter would contribute to the assessment.

The face-to-face assessment process:

You will need to be available for approximately 2 hours for this assessment. It also may run on slightly longer if needed. We try to arrange for you to be seen at the CWP base closest to your locality.

Your supporter:

As part of our assessment process we like to include someone who knows you well, ideally from a young age, so they can answer questions about your development when you were young, and how you are now.

We appreciate that not everyone will have someone available who knew them when they were young, and it is fine if you only have someone who knows you now, as they can still provide helpful information to us. None of us can see ourselves how someone else sees us so this is extremely helpful to us.

Assessment Process (For virtual and face to face)

You will have already completed a pre assessment questionnaire which you will have returned to us. This will not be repeated in the assessment, but we will ask you questions to enhance this information. Questions will be asked about early life up to present day focusing on the areas covered in the questionnaire.

• On the day you will be interviewed by a consultant or lead assessor for around an hour, building on your developmental history detailed in the questionnaire and discussing any needs you might have had throughout your life.

• Approximately an hour into the assessment a clinician (nurse or occupational therapist) will make contact with your supporter (if you have one). They will be interviewed for 30 minutes (longer if needed) by the clinician who will discuss your functioning on a day-to-day basis, your routine, roles, and responsibilities, adding to the information they have already provided through their questionnaire.

• After this the assessors swap and you will be interviewed by the clinician for approximately a further 45 – 60 minutes, whilst your supporter will be interviewed by the consultant / psychiatrist / medic / advanced autism practitioner for approximately 20 minutes.

• During this process your supporter will not be needed for the first hour or the last half an hour, so needs to be aware of this.

Some people would prefer to be seen with their supporter supporting them for the assessment, and we can arrange this. We would undertake a joint assessment whereby one staff member would speak to you both before swapping over with the other staff member. We can also bring you both onto the same screen even if you are in different locations if needed.

There will be the opportunity to have a comfort break when needed throughout this process.

There is a video link below outlining the process. This video was made in a face to face setting, but the virtual process is the same. This example does not show information on how a supporter would contribute to the assessment.

After your assessment

You should receive a provisional opinion on a diagnosis within 24 hours unless further information from other sources is required, or more time is needed to consider the opinion. An assessment report with the outcome will be completed and sent out to you with a follow up appointment letter. You have the opportunity to read this report and make any changes required prior to the follow up appointment.

You can also add any information you have thought may be relevant since your assessment. At the 30 minute follow-up appointment you will be able to discuss the opinion and support available and next steps.

After the follow up your report will be finalised and sent to you and your GP. Please note this is an approximate time, and could last longer if needed.

Please be aware that we do not provide ongoing treatment as we are an opinion and diagnosis service but we will provide with a full report with recommendations and strategies.