Individual consultations are available through home, school, clinic-based visits, or online consultations through videoconference.
For younger children (under 6 years), we recommend a video assessment called BOSA (Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism) of child-adult interaction in their familiar environment. We take a developmental history with parents and liaise with or visit the nursery or school. Following the assessment, we meet with parents to provide feedback and discuss the profile and recommendations.
Older children (over 6 years) are assessed using the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition) assessment tool. They are seen individually at the Roundway Centre, in school, or via videoconference to assess their profile and liaise with school teachers. This is followed by a feedback meeting with parents and the young person, where appropriate.
A 1-hour initial consultation gathers background information, guiding the family and young person to the most appropriate assessment in line with NICE Guidelines and the plan.
The assessment is approximately 16 hours, consisting of:
- 2-hour developmental history ADIR with parents over Zoom, plus initial nursery/school contact (0.5 hours)
- 2-hour assessment with the young person, BOSA online, ADOS 2 or language assessments face-to-face
- 3 hours: reading related reports (existing medical/school) (1 x hour), analysis of assessment results (1 x hour) and a 1-hour online parent feedback meeting
- 8 hours of report writing, including individual support plan and recommendations of need (suitable to support SEN and EHCP processes)
- 1 hour planning meeting with the school or college and the parent.
A comprehensive diagnostic report provides specific recommendations of need. The recommendations may include an education plan depending on the SEN or EHCP application stage. Further support, liaison, and advice are available to schools as appropriate.
The report is available for SEN (Special Educational Needs) and EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan) applications, transition planning to secondary school, college, or university, or adult independent living. It contains detailed information, recommendations of need, strategies, techniques, styles of approach, resources, and provisions that support schools in following the SEN pathway.
School training, support, and SEN guidance are available. Many strategies require little additional resources and can be embedded within quality-first teaching. Our professionals provide additional therapy, support, monitoring, review, and goal-setting commissioned through EHCPs or by local education authorities.
The ADI-R is a standardised semi-structured interview used to diagnose Autism, plan intervention and distinguish Autism and other related social communication developmental differences and needs. The interviewer obtains live examples of behaviour from the parent(s) or informant to obtain sufficient information for coding and decision-making for each item in the interview schedule. The interviewer can also support the parent(s) on a developmental journey by recognising their child’s behaviours as they change and progress over time, and by appreciating that their child’s development is not linear but evolving.
The ADIR focuses on different times in the child’s life, including the early years and preschool period between the child’s 4th and 5th birthdays, the current three months, and, for young adults, their lifetime, which can help parents feel listened to and understood.
A BOSA (Brief Observation of Social Attention) autism assessment is a tool used to help evaluate children’s social and communication skills, particularly in assessing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This type of assessment focuses on observing the child’s social behaviors and attention patterns in a structured setting, typically at home. It is used as part of a larger diagnostic process and involves carefully watching, via a selection of videos, how a child interacts with others, responds to social cues, and engages with their environment.
The BOSA assessment includes tasks where the child is asked to respond to social stimuli or participate in activities that require attention and communication, and the evaluator looks for specific behaviors related to ASD, such as:
- Social engagement: Does the child initiate or respond to social interactions?
- Communication: How does the child use language or gestures to communicate?
- Attention patterns: How does the child focus on tasks or activities?
The goal of the BOSA assessment is to provide additional insights into the child’s social and communicative behaviors in a way that helps professionals make a more informed diagnosis of autism, often in conjunction with other diagnostic tools and assessments.
Further information on this can be found in this research paper, The Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA-D) or found on the website Researchgate.net.
The CELF and other language assessments are comprehensive, standardised assessment tools used by speech-language therapists and educational professionals to identify, diagnose, and evaluate language and communication differences and developmental needs in children and young people. They assess receptive and expressive language skills, such as understanding, processing, and expressing language, including inference, vocabulary, sentence structure, narrative, and implied meanings, from preschool to adolescence.
- Autism
- Neurodiversity
- Language
- Social communication
- Pragmatic language disorder
- Attachment
- Emotional social
- Attention deficit
- Asperger’s syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
- Developmental delay
- Dyspraxia
- Subtle hidden needs
We have expertise in assessing and providing therapy for children, young people, and young adults with hidden needs or who are masking. Typically, young people are perceived differently at home than in the education setting. Some people effectively conceal or camouflage their needs to the outside world and experience a great deal of anxiety or exhaustion as a result, which may be expressed at home. We work with able young girls or people with gender identity concerns to sensitively gain their views and perceptions to understand and support their unique profile and needs. With the individual’s consent and participation, we help represent their profile and necessary adjustments to enable them to feel understood, validated and supported to be their authentic self at home and in education.
The ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) is a widely used assessment tool for diagnosing and profiling autism and contributing to an individual plan. ADOS is a semi-structured, play-based assessment involving direct interaction between a trained therapist and the young person. ADOS is designed to profile communication, social interaction, and play or imaginative in a naturalistic setting.
The ADOS consists of modules tailored to specific age groups and levels of language development. The modules include a variety of activities, such as conversation, play, and problem-solving tasks, to observe key autism-related behaviours.
Key aspects of the ADOS include:
- Social Interaction: The clinician observes how the individual interacts with others, including whether they engage, share experiences, initiate and reciprocate conversation.
- Communication Skills: The assessment profiles verbal and nonverbal communication, including language use, gestures and how the individual conveys their ideas or emotions.
- Play and Imagination: Assesses how the individual uses toys or materials for imaginative and creative play.
- ADOS can help identify autistic behaviours such as movements, repetition, or intense interests.
The ADOS is used as part of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation alongside other tools, such as developmental history interviews, questionnaires (e.g., the ADI-R), and, where appropriate, cognitive assessments. It provides valuable information to help therapists diagnose.
There are five different modules in the ADOS, and the clinician selects the most appropriate one based on the individual’s language ability and developmental stage:
- Module 1: For children who do not yet use phrases (typically under 30 months).
- Module 2: For children with some verbal communication but who do not yet have fluent speech.
- Module 3: For verbally fluent children and adolescents.
- Module 4: For verbally fluent adolescents and adults.
- Module 5: A diagnostic module used in specific cases for adults.
The ADOS is a gold-standard tool in autism diagnosis, forming one part of a comprehensive evaluation process. Further information can be found on the NICE guidelines website.
Therapy and support are available for children and young people aged 2–25. Early support, guidance to parents and schools, including counselling and therapy plans, are provided.
Individual priorities, perceptions, and aspirations are gained to deliver a bespoke intervention and work towards self-advocacy. Intervention plans can be discussed, demonstrated and shared with parents and the school.
Through individualised work, we support social engagement, communication, emotional regulation, friendship, social use of language and peer interaction.
Some young people receive counselling support adapted to their style and perceptions to build self-support strategies and emotional resilience, particularly when preparing for life changes and transitions.
Counselling support can also focus on developing personal insight and a sense of identity, understanding their diagnosis, and understanding what it means to them.
Book a one-hour initial consultation with a therapist